Dragnet – Big Phone Call. ep140, 520214

Robbery detail. After a jewelry store is robbed, all the evidence needed is there. All Joe Friday has to do is bring him in.

Joe joins partner, Ed Jacobs as they interview a known thief. Will he come clean about his part in the robbery? The Cops know all the details, and confront George with them. Will the man maintain his cool facade when Joe presents recorded phone transcriptions of conversations from George’s office phone?

The transcripts that give background into the case don’t phase the man. Will his excuses still hold water when conversations to his friend Tom start to show up? George accuses the cops of illegally tapping his phone, but they claim their technique is legal. Have the cops done creative audio editing to make the tapes say what they want? Cracks in Georges story give the cops the chance they need too turn up the heat.

The voices of folks who George claims not to know keep coming, but his denials in robbing the jewelry store remain. A financial file on his business income, compared with his spending habits are out of balance. George wants to phone his wife, and the cracks keep showing as the cops put on pressure. His threats to sue the police department are a thin defense mechanism.

Why doesn’t his wife answer his phone? When will the grilling end? The breaking point is reached, and George tells all. Starting with the stress of his family life. For him, jail just might be a relief.