richard boone and michael dunn play a pair of world weary private detective in this superb television movie of the week from 1972. they be down to their last nickel and wonder where their next meal be come from . there be a knock at the door and in stroll barbara bain . would it be possible to hire you . she inquire . it seem her husband to be and gianni russo and be miss and bain want to find out why . a quick cash advance and boone and partner be on the job . they head for the missing groom room where not two step inside boone head be on the receive end of a pistol butt . once boone have recover and they pay a return visit to miss bain . while a simple case of find a man be ok and a pistol whipping be not what they sign up for . they quit . bain double their fee and back on the job the two go . a little digging and they find that gianni be mix up with a mob up club owner and victor buono . buono pull out all stop a he give a great sydney greenstreet imitation . someone have bump off a mob courier and help himself to a suitcase with $ 400 and 000. and it seem that bain miss beau be the prime suspect . the mob be not amuse and have a contract out on gianni . boone and dunn find that double cross on top of double cross be the order of the day with this bunch . buono be short of cash due to some large gambling loss . he hire gianni to bump off the courier with the suitcase and return it to him . gianni instead take the suitcase and go into hide . every time boone get close to find gianni he find himself on the wrong of various fist and boot and gun barrel . boone be not amuse . when the boy do find gianni it be after he have take a 6 story fall . witness describe a woman who sound a lot like bain leave the area just after her now ex failed flight . now it all come clear to boone . bain be in on the scam with gianni . buono cross the mob and gianni cross buono and then bain cross gianni . the only problem for bain be that the suitcase be empty . buono and assume that he be go to get the suitcase back have give the mob courier an empty suitcase . when gianni return and buono intend to dispose of him and use the cash to pay his gambling debt . buono perfect plan go all to hell because of a dame . soon bain be add to the body count and the mob tumble to buono play . he be next on the list for the long sleep . boone and dunne return to their office to wait for the next fool to walk in . this be one great film . the dialogue be superb with the back and forth between boone and dunn be utterly priceless . direct by peter hyams whose work include and outland and time cop and sudden death and narrow margin and ( the remake ) and the strange p. i. film peeper .