School, fire all around, the children screaming.
METAL RUN!
You believe that bunk about Damien seeing he saw the arsonist in his mind, knowing where he was going to hit again?
Don't con me, cops don't buy impressions.
He did his first show over an hour going in left.
Mr. Damien, I'm doing all I can to meet you halfway and you're fighting me, now why?
Get out of the closet!
The key.
I hear explosions.
Bombs?
No.
No bombs.
Bombs.
Guns and something else.
A radio?
For listening to British broadcasts and secret.
During the war in this house.
Discovered.
Soldiers shooting.
He was caped.
But hurt.
Badly hurt.
Am I wrong?
No, no, you're right. On everything.
I was shot here and here.
I've got the scars to prove it.
You're a very brave man.
Thank you.
Applause.
Well, what do you say now?
Same thing I said before, he's a good performer.
Come on, you think he's got this whole place on his payroll?
I see flames.
Something burning.
School.
Fire all around.
The children.
Screaming for someone, anyone.
And no one there.
No way out.
The children, he locked them in.
He locked them in.
The children, he locked them in.
Trapped.
And he's still not satisfied. He's looking for more.
Wait for me!
No, wait, wait! You've got to stop!
It's got to stop!
No more! No more!
No more!
I'm afraid that's it, folks, unless you're planning on holding this table for tomorrow night.
We're waiting for Damien.
Didn't I see you go back to the dressing room?
We didn't finish our conversation.
Okay. Go light, will you?
He's the first act that's drawn a house in months.
You're very persistent, aren't you?
I thought it might be easier for us to talk when you weren't so busy.
It's pointless.
I don't know the woman I never saw before in my life.
What else is there to discuss?
That isn't a girl's ring.
Obviously.
Then why'd she run out?
Maybe she didn't like the show.
That tracks. What you were saying was pretty heavy.
Yeah, well,
sometimes life is heavy.
People lie, cheat, steal, set fire to schools with children in them.
Last night, three boys, all under the age of ten, were killed in a fire at Davis School.
I read about it.
The report, it was an arson, didn't come in till this afternoon.
The press won't get it till tomorrow morning.
I thought you were supposed to read me my rights before you make any accusations.
No accusations, Mr. Damien.
It's curiosity.
There are over a hundred people who'll swear that I was here last night and not at your fire.
That doesn't explain how you knew what happened there.
An impression from the ring?
You know, impressions are the most important thing in life.
You know, I'm not going to lie.
I'm not going to lie.
What kind of impression from the ring?
You know, impressions sometimes get more tangible when they're talked out.
We'd like to hear the rest of yours.
Don't con me.
Cops don't buy impressions.
You want nice, bad answers that fit into your nice, logical world.
Now my nice, logical world, as you put it,
happens to include several very illogical fires, all set within the last month.
If you know anything,
I don't know anything, and I'm tired!
Oh, you don't mind?
I've got no more time to waste.
I'm sure the parents of those kids will appreciate that.
You saw him yourself last night. He knew that man had been wounded.
Fran, this isn't a nightclub routine. This is arson.
I know, but he's a psychic. Don't you understand that?
He gets impressions and vibrations.
I've got some pretty hot vibes myself.
No hotter than mine.
This argument's been going on all morning.
Can we please call it a draw and concentrate on the work at hand?
Yes, sir. Chief, breakfast will be ready in a minute.
Thank you. The minute it fell, chief.
Thank you.
Chief, don't you believe...
I believe in facts, Fran.
Damien knew something that wasn't made public. Now, that's a fact.
Well, then.
Chief, with all of the work we have,
all of you seem to be extraordinarily interested in these arson cases.
Hello, Bob.
Well, hello, Ralph. How are you?
Good. You look great.
And you. How long has it been?
It's been too long.
Meet my staff, Fran Belding, Mark Sanger, and Sergeant Brown.
I'd answer... It's an old friend of mine, Ralph Hanson of the arson squad.
Sit down, Ralph.
Thank you.
Arson squad.
I think I can explain, chief.
All right. Explain.
I thought the arson squad should know what happened last night at the Magic Hat,
so I phoned them. This morning I'm writing up a full report now.
This is the first break we've had on these cases, Bob. I need your help.
If you feel that Damien is such a good lead, why don't you go after him?
I already talked to him, but I don't go for this psychic garbage.
He's either implicated or somebody tipped him off.
Any possibility of a leak in your data?
To a nut like Damien. Well, he's not a nut.
Sorry.
Look, Bob, I'm just getting nowhere.
I keep piling up evidence and I'm going around in circles.
All right. Tell me what you have.
I got five fires, all connected to the same person, probably a man.
Locations?
Commercial, all scattered.
They have anything in common?
Yes, they were all empty at the time.
You see, there was a factory, a retraining center for the handyman,
a gas company administration building and an employment agency.
But the school wasn't empty.
Yes, it should have been. It was after hours.
Any idea how the kids got in?
Yeah, I think they climbed in through the window.
I questioned one of the boys in the neighborhood.
He said he went through there once before in a day.
What else do you know about the arsonist?
Really smart, experienced, always out of the building when the fire starts.
He's using some kind of timing device.
Mechanical or chemical?
Both. He uses kerosene-based flammable.
And from the chemical report, I'd say it was an industrial cleaner.
You checked the cleaning firms?
Yes, sir. They all use different compounds.
We also checked the employees in the firms in the building.
No cross-connection.
And that's it?
Yeah, that's it. Everything and nothing.
Well, Bob?
Oh, for old times' sake.
You know, I knew you wouldn't let me down.
And neither will my staff.
As a matter of fact, I predict my staff will work every waking minute and more...
until we crack your case.
I'll tell you, Sergeant...
I couldn't buy publicity like Damien's given us with that show last night.
And when I think, I almost didn't hire him.
Why not?
Well, he came in here one day, asked for a job.
Naturally, I want to know where he's been playing.
Flat out, he won't tell me.
I'm about to toss him out of here when he picks up a paperweight from my desk...
and starts that routine of his.
Routine, you mean...
Yeah.
Same one he does here every night.
You know, I don't know how he knew what he knew...
but I'm sure glad my wife didn't hear it.
Well, I have to hire waitresses, you know.
So you took him on just like that, no questions asked?
Listen, when a man's got what he's got, you don't ask questions.
You use him. He's a draw.
Okay, go from there.
What's to go? He comes in here at 9 o'clock, does his first show.
His last show is at 2.
Outside of that, I'm not his keeper.
Did he ever have any visitors here?
No. Not that he couldn't have had if he wanted them.
People were always asking him to their tables between shows, especially women.
One broad was here six nights running.
She used to send notes back to his dressing room.
He never answered her?
Well, yes, he did once.
He saw her in his dressing room. Boy, does she learn better.
What do you mean?
They had a fight.
My office is right next door to his dressing room, and the walls are paper thin.
He chewed her out good.
You must have heard what the fight was about.
Yeah, something about being fed up with cards and blocks, being tired of research.
It didn't mean much to me.
You wouldn't know the woman's name.
Sure, I do. Damien told me.
He didn't want me to let her into the club again, not that she ever came back.
Her name?
No.
Moore.
Patricia Moore.
Must be at least a dozen Patricia Moore's in San Francisco.
Seven. I think I found the most likely one, considering the research Carter mentioned.
She's a psychologist.
You haven't talked with her yet?
I called her, but she wasn't in. I'll try again first thing in the morning.
And I've made an inquiry with L.A. that may fill in some gaps on Damien.
Maybe they'll fill the one that's three years long.
How about the gap in your afternoon?
I checked with the parking lot attendant at the Magic Hat.
He didn't remember the girl. No stub.
Maybe she came with somebody else. In other words, nowhere's filled.
When you add that up to my total, you get zilch.
And what's your sad story?
Well, I'm halfway through the reservation list for last night. No girl yet.
Well, as always tomorrow.
And I'm sure Ed will be glad to help you.
Einstein.
Yes, Ralph. Where?
I'll repeat that.
All right. Thank you.
That's fine.
This is Battalion 19.
I have a three-story structure, fire showing on all three floors.
Send me a second alarm.
Ed, we haven't had time to question anyone. I thought you'd want to be in on that.
Thank you. Any idea when he'll have it down and up to look inside?
Oh, two to three hours at the most.
Yeah. Let's get out of the way.
Ed.
It's mobile RX 13111. I'm calling 467-1999.
I'm inside. Yes, Ed.
Another commercial building, Chief. And Damien was here.
Damien?
We spotted him in the crowd, but he slipped away from us.
I called the magic hat. He did his first show over an hour ago and then left.
Did you check his home?
I sent a prowl car over. He's not there.
Ed, do you have Patricia Moore's address?
Yeah, just a sec.
It's 1822 Bellwood.
All right, Jim. I can give you 15 minutes before class. Be in my office.
Oh, and I suggest you review chapter six.
Okay. You're welcome. Good night.
Sorry, Chief. I'm giving an exam tomorrow. One of my students is a little nervous.
Are they like you enough to feel free to call you or you teach a stiff course?
I hope it's a little bit of both.
Now, what can I do for you?
Well, you can tell me about Arthur Damien.
Is this an official inquiry?
I am trying to locate him.
If he's not at work or at home, I'm afraid I can't help you.
Arthur doesn't confide much in his associates or friends.
Where do you fall in that continuum?
I'm not sure that I do.
I'm a behavioral psychologist.
I had been given a grant to collect statistics on psychic behavior.
And Damien is your subject?
One of several.
Then your relationship is strictly professional.
Totally. Not that it's any of your business.
At the moment, Damien and everything he does is my business.
I have known Arthur Damien six months.
He is no longer in my studies and I haven't seen him in weeks.
Excluding your visits to the Magic Hat.
I asked him to help me finish a project.
We'd started, he refused, and that was that.
You don't expect to hear from him again?
No.
That's too bad. He may be in serious trouble.
Thank you for your time. I can let myself out.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Won't you join me?
Let me take you out.
I can get myself home.
Whenever I decide to go.
How much have you had?
Not quite enough.
More than enough, it seems to me.
You want to end up where you were six months ago?
No, I'm not your research project anymore.
You've worked so hard.
Now you're going to throw it away and end up in some hole with that.
Okay, you got your research data, why don't you just leave?
Not until you tell me why you do this.
You never thought of time.
In what way?
I was taking away little bits of life.
Lost child, an unfaithful wife, man killing his fellow man.
You really think your drinking is going to stop all that?
No.
No, I don't.
Maybe it'll help drown it out.
Unless you've got better ideas.
I told you.
I'm not going to be a crutch.
Come on.
Chief Ironside is looking for you.
If he finds you look like this, it could look...
Suspicious?
If I told you Sergeant Brown I had nothing to say to him, I've got nothing to say to you.
Mr. Damien, it's late and I'm tired.
I think you've got a lot to say.
As soon as I get some coffee into you, you're going to say it.
No, no, no.
Officer, please, please.
You can go home now.
I'll take over.
Oh, no.
Let me get some sleep.
You sleep after you tell me why you were at that fire tonight.
Would you believe me if I did tell you?
Try me.
Mr. Damien, I'm doing all I can to meet you halfway and you're fighting me.
Now, why?
You know...
You know what you and I do for a living?
We pry into people's lives.
We both get paid for it.
But that's where the similarity ends.
Because you can decide what you want to know.
When you don't want to think about it, just put it in a manila folder and close it.
And there it stays out of your mind till you're ready to reach for it again.
I have no choice in the things I learn.
I can't put them in some manila folder out of my mind.
They stay.
So, you'll use alcohol instead.
Well, you're working late?
Every waking minute, remember?
Where's Edmund?
Mr. Stilman Hanson.
I picked up that file you wanted from the L.I.P.D.
Thank you. Mr. Damien, you remember Officer Benaldi?
Yeah.
Is that about me?
Yes.
It's a report of your activities with the Los Angeles Police Department three years ago.
You have no right...
It is my job. Remember that.
Now, you were involved with fires there, too.
Want to tell me your side?
It was an arsonist.
The police had been looking for him for weeks.
You gave the police a description from a shirt they found in one of the buildings.
Somehow or other, the newspapers got a hold of it, printed it.
The arsonist read about it, called me on the phone, warned me to stop.
You didn't?
No. The detectives kept coming to me with clues, and I'd help them all I could.
And one night, while I was in the middle of a performance on stage,
he burned my house down.
My wife, Jean, was still in it.
A few days later, the house was burned down.
Police caught a man right in the middle of the act, and he confessed.
To all the fires?
Huh?
Well, they were so relieved to have it over.
Police and fire department congratulated me.
They thanked me for my help.
They told me how sorry they were about my wife, Jean.
But they had the wrong man.
He didn't set any of the fires?
Only the last one. He was crazy for publicity.
He confessed to all of them.
He convinced them, and they put him away.
Then you believe the man who killed your wife is still free?
Yes, and here, here.
I tracked him all over the country for two years.
All the way here to San Francisco, and then I lost him.
How does, uh, Patricia Moore fit into all this?
She, uh...
She recognized me in a gutter...
and, uh, put me into a medical center, had me dried out.
Then you worked with her?
Until I couldn't stand matching another card.
These cards are all right.
I picked them up, so I thought I'd come by and ask a couple of questions of my own.
About what?
Three witnesses saw Mr. Damien hanging around the building.
About 15 minutes before the fire.
About 15 minutes before the fire was reported.
Well, yeah, I was there, but I didn't set it.
That's for a judge to decide.
I want him released, and I want him released in my custody.
Oh, Bob, be reasonable.
I'm not going to let you get away with this. He won't go anywhere.
You gotta be kidding. Your staff saw him at the fire last night.
I don't think he's our man.
You believe that bunk about Damien seeing he saw the arsonist in his mind,
knowing where he was going to hit again?
I can't rule it out.
And that bet about him going in through the back door.
Here, look at that broken window.
That's the way he got in. He left through the back door.
He claims he followed someone out through the window.
Ah, doesn't make sense.
Whoever broke through had to be leaving.
All right.
All right, I wanted you on the case, so you run it any way you see it.
But before I release Damien,
I want positive proof he is what he says he is.
I have to agree with that.
All right. Let's see if he'll give us a demonstration.
Bessie, will you have Mr. Damien brought in, please?
I was just looking ahead, Dennis.
Good morning, Mr. Damien. Come in.
This is Commissioner Randall.
And you know Inspector Hanson, of course.
What do you want with me?
Very little.
There's a note inside. Can you tell us what it says?
Anything at all about it?
I can, but I won't do it.
Why not?
I don't have to sell myself.
Any of you. As soon as he sets the next fire, you're gonna have to release me.
To go out and play one-man vigilante committee?
What if the arsonist doesn't try again?
He will.
According to you, he let another man take the rap for him last time.
Now, what better way to clear himself again and eliminate you?
No.
I went through all that with the Los Angeles Police Department and got me absolutely nowhere.
I just won't do it, that's all. Take me back to my cell, will you?
Mr. Damien.
The really?
Chief, I am sorry.
Good morning, Miss Moore.
Can you tell me who I speak to to get Arthur out of here?
I've already arranged for his release.
He's free?
Only in my custody. I want him to help me.
Arthur has tried mental suicide for the last year.
This is not a time to play with his mind.
I think I know the situation better than you realize.
Oh. Not only a detective, but a psychologist.
Mr. Damien does have a need.
A need to be seen by you as more than a set of statistics.
I can do without your diagnostic service.
He'll be released in about half an hour.
Should be coming this way.
You're welcome.
Hey, that didn't take long.
Damien gave a persuasive demonstration.
Then you what?
No, that remains to be seen.
Well, what do we have?
Every piece of information I could scrounge on the LARs and cases
and the plans of all the buildings that were burned here.
Pat.
How are you?
Sober.
They got you some clean clothes.
Yes, the arson department is looking at the others
for kerosene in class.
Did you get any sleep?
Enough.
Am I supposed to thank you for being here?
I wanted to help.
You?
Arthur, I realize nothing can remain as fixed as I've kept our roles
even though I've tried not to think of where we're heading.
I gave up thinking we were heading anywhere a long time ago.
I couldn't afford to invest emotions
in someone who could fall out of life again.
So cut and dried.
You know, for all your scientific testing,
you still don't believe in me nearly as much as our inside does.
Arthur.
Don't worry about me.
You might run the risk of feeling something human.
Just wanted to touch base with you, Fran.
Check how you're doing.
From the way you sound, about as well as you are.
It's badly. Down to the last two names on that reservation list.
Well, I have four more.
I got three descriptions of the girl.
All different, would you believe?
And nothing close to what I remember of her.
It figures.
Ed, next time we have a disagreement,
let's not do it where the chief can hear us.
Amen to that.
I'll check with you later.
Chief Ironside?
Oh.
Come in, Mr. Damien.
You were taking quite a chance, weren't you?
Making them release me and then trusting me to come here alone?
I trusted in your drive to find the arsonist.
I told you before I won't help you.
Then why are you here?
The ring.
I want it.
I'll make you a deal for it.
What did you have in mind?
Full description of the man that I...
that we're looking for.
Male, about 30, Caucasian.
He's got brown hair and a burn scar on the back of his right hand.
You gave that description to the Los Angeles police
three years ago.
If you already knew that, what was that big scene back there at the jail?
Because I need more than a physical description.
I want to know how the man thinks, and you can tell me that.
I can't help you.
You mean you won't.
You want to find him yourself, even if it takes another three years
and more of those little red flags.
I suggest you remember they represent four lives lost
and millions of dollars up in smoke.
I don't need any lessons from values.
Then stop putting such a high price tag on your own grief
and start thinking about others.
Boys.
In the playroom.
He found them in the playroom.
He locked them in.
He didn't set the fire there?
No.
It was right near there.
It had to be.
Here's the playroom.
Yeah.
The fire was set next to your student evaluation.
In the gas company, the fire was set in the personnel office.
Employee placement center.
I don't know what you're talking about.
The employee placement center.
That's it.
Testing.
That's the key.
Every place had a psychological testing section for processing people.
Potential employees, students.
The homes don't fit.
They wouldn't, Mark.
One was burned as a warning.
The other was set by the man who confessed to the Los Angeles fires.
He wouldn't know the pattern.
Well, if this really is his imbo,
he'd have 100 targets here in San Francisco.
Well, you must have another standard.
I am sorry.
There's honestly nothing more I can tell you.
I'm wiped out, Fran.
End of the list, no girl.
Well, I've been trying to reach you.
I think I found her.
Hallelujah.
Her name is Susan Whitman.
She went to the club with another couple.
Her date backed out at the last minute.
That's interesting.
It was a man's ring.
You suppose it was her date?
One of the first questions I was going to ask her.
Where are you now?
At her house.
3314 Redstone, apartment nine.
3314.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Do you mind if I start without you?
You deserve the honor.
See you.
Hey, Brian.
None of this is gonna come out
if I don't stop,gae economic is at Washington Square.
I got to the
ballpark.
Teachers must be Android Hole IBM and Google Smart.
Not for watching everyone watching now.
Not only do we all need quality,
there'll be content.
Ask around first.
There is no need to會 somewhere,
we'll go everywhere.
Find the location that the
Where is he?
Who is this?
Ren
Where are we going?
Just keep driving.
Dean, I...
With your mouth shut.
Please.
I don't want to get into any trouble.
Stacey, you don't know what trouble is.
You started it.
You had to give him my ring.
But I didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
Ha.
You're so... so secretive.
I was hoping that man would tell me something about you.
Dean, I had to know.
And now you do, don't you?
Just keep your eyes on the road, Stacey.
After her dressers emptied out, it looks like she packed in a hurry.
I found these in her closet.
Apparently Stacey had mail company.
Maybe besides, about 5859.
Matches up with the shoes I found, size 9D.
Cleaning fluid.
Check the neighbor's head.
See if anybody's noticed him tonight.
Two.
Two more, that's all.
Two more what?
Two more fires?
Hate.
Resentment.
Get them all.
Commercial buildings?
Work.
Good job.
Our...
Petinal...
PR.
P...
R.
Is he going to set those fires now?
I don't do it.
No more, haven't you done enough?
Mr. Damien, listen to me.
His friend with him.
No more.
The girl.
No more.
Where is he now?
Where?
I don't know.
Thank heaven for nosy apartment managers.
Stacy had a boyfriend.
Spent a lot of time here.
Managers getting uptight.
Description match?
Roughly.
Manager thinks his name is Dean.
Anything else?
What about a car?
That's all.
Well, there was nothing in the kitchen except a lot of dirty dishes in these...
Rags?
Yeah, must have been crazy about cleaning.
Women usually use worn out clothes or torn scraps.
Those are industrial towels.
Mechanics use them.
Oh, janitors.
Can you tell us anything about it?
It's him.
You're sure?
It's him.
Back door of the building burned last night.
It was open.
Why?
The arsonist left that way.
No, no, he had a key.
Every one of those burned places was busted into.
The cover.
He had keys for all the buildings copied while he worked on night cleaning crews.
Oh, wait a minute.
Every place that was torched had a different janitorial service.
Oh, Ed, that's where we stopped thinking.
Cleaning service is hiring men by the week.
Cash on the line.
No questions.
No taxes.
The men move around.
Then our man could get into just about any building he wanted.
Get on it, both of you.
Why don't you take that phone, I'll get the one in the car.
Let's do it.
Come on, move.
That's right, man, about 30 medium-high, sconis right hand.
First name is Dean.
Yeah, a hold.
His name's Kendall.
Dean Kendall.
Nine cleaning outfits, remember him.
They service five companies with psychological testing facilities.
Right.
Thank you.
Manage Dean Kendall, work for six cleaning outfits, three of them tangible companies
with test departments.
Three and five, eight.
Six of them have already been hit, which leaves two.
Yes, two, two.
Aerospace company and an advertising firm.
PR.
Public relations, advertising.
I'd bet on it.
So would I.
Come on, come on, I haven't got all day.
Listen here.
Intelligence, 95th percentile.
Not bad.
Personality, well-adjusted male, no noticeable instabilities.
Good promotion.
Listen to this one.
Well within the emotional limits set for employment.
Sounds great, doesn't it?
Healthy and happy, good worker.
Normal.
How'd you do on those profiles?
I said, how'd you do on those profiles?
What do they mean by normal?
The normal people, the ones society has judged well-adjusted, they commit suicide every day.
Now who do they think they are?
God?
How are they to sit in judgment with their machines and their tests and their stupid
questions?
It can ruin a man's life.
Get back!
Back, back, back, back.
All right, finish up.
Come on!
All available units, possible 448 alpha in progress.
Alert the fire department.
Inside the closet.
No.
Inside.
Please, Dean, no.
Please.
I said please.
This 23rd floor.
Ok.
Right here.
And this one.
Please, please.
Come on.
Please.
Please, please.
Here.
Where?
Right here!
Hold it!
Get here!
Let's go!
Come on!
Hurry!
Hold on!
We're here!
Hold on!
Come on!
Gunshot!
All right!
Put the gun down.
Down there!
Turn around.
Hands on the wall.
Fran and the girl?
Marks!
I see someone who is dark-eyed, very intelligent.
It's a ladies' ring, so none of you gentlemen qualify.
Very beautiful.
You'll be married within a month to a man who loves you very much.
Am I correct?
This calls for a toast, Chief.
Well, I won't make a toast.
I will make a prediction.
You will be happy and prosperous for the rest of your lives.
Thank you.
Chief, why is it that your predictions always sound like orders?
Well, that's one order we'd be delighted to obey.