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Dedicated to the memory of Barton Yarborough, who created and portrayed the role of Ben Romero.
Robbery detail. Two men have escaped from prison. armed and dangerous, they’re heading to your city. Its the job of Joe Friday to get them!
As Joe gets to the office, he is caught up on the details of the escaped convicts. He is stunned to learn that his partner, Ben Romero passed away from a heart attack earlier in the morning. Though the chief can’t give him the day off with the present emergency, he allows Joe to visit Ben’s wife to reminisce over the 11 year partnership;. After his description of the mutual comfort, Joe teams up with Jacobs to work the case.
The cops interview a priest who may know one of the escaped men. Stan Blair had been a trustee at the minimum security prison. Will the men find cover by hiding in plain sight in old stomping grounds? Is the priest mistaken in thinking of Stan as the “good thief” who was on the cross next to Jesus? Joe is back in police headquarters and reviewing the facts thus far. State troopers have the highways under close surveillance. Reports notify cops of stolen guns and ammo. The men are in an area of 20 square miles. Do the cops have enough men to flush them out?
On the way to the blockaded area, Joe checks on Mrs Romero to see how she’s holding up. On the scene, magnesium shotgun shells are fired into the air to light up the night sky. Searching parties make slow progress. If the cops can’t find them, can they make the bad guys come to the cops?
Stakeouts continue through the cold night. Guns blaze when Blair and Russel are spotted. The cops get relief from diffusing the situation with an arrest, but Joe is still thinking of his missing partner, Ben.
Note: In real life, Jack Web and Barton Yarborough were close friends. in the scenes where Joe Friday appears upset over the passing of his partner, he probably isn’t acting too hard.
