- [last lines]
- Matthew Royce: I knew if I took a shot at you, you'd lead me to the right place.
- Van Cleve: It wasn't you. It was the earthquake.
- Matthew Royce: What earthquake?
- James Phelps: Very good question.
- Barney Collier: Drop the gun, Royce.
- [first lines]
- Van Cleve: What are you doing?
- Matthew Royce: Look at it, Van.
- Van Cleve: Mixtec work. Post-Classical period, probably 700 years old. And worth a quarter of a million, eh?
- Matthew Royce: Oh, no, more than that. It's beautiful.
- Van Cleve: And you'd like to keep it.
- Matthew Royce: Yeah.
- Van Cleve: One job, six months in the planning. One museum guard dead. Six different police bureaus after us... for looting a precious national treasure. The answer's no.
- Person on Tape: [voice on tape] Good morning, Mr. Phelps. The Azteca Museum was recently looted of over five million dollars worth of Pre-Columbian art by a brilliant thief, Van Cleve, and his partner, Matthew Royce, now missing, presumed dead. In the process, a guard was murdered. Conventional law enforcement agencies have been unable to move against Van Cleve. We've determined that the stolen art has been brought into the United States and is hidden here. Our government is most anxious to return this national treasure to its rightful home. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, will be to locate the treasure and prove Van Cleve's guilt. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.
- Van Cleve: Mr. Billing please. Van Cleve calling.
- Ed Stoner: Their gear is government issue. Jeep has federal plates and registration.They sound clean.
- Van Cleve: They're legitimate all right.Tell me this, Ed. exactly why is the United States Government doing a hush-hush Geological Survey here? What are those two men after?
- Ed Stoner: I wouldn't know.
- Van Cleve: Suppose you go to work finding out, huh?
- Ed Stoner: Okay.
- Van Cleve: Ralph?
- Ralph Driscoll: Right here, Van. How can i help you?
- Van Cleve: I want you to check on a couple of names for me. Two Government geologists -- An Isaac Younger and Michael Dalby. I want to know who they are, why they were sent here ?, what they're looking for?
- Ralph Driscoll: Simple enough.
- Van Cleve: Now, look, I don't want just a surface check through routine channels. Use your connections. Dig in deep, huh? They may have a cover story. I'd like to know exactly Why they were sent here. And if you find out anything offbeat about this survey, You let me know, huh?
- Ralph Driscoll: I may have to pull some strings, But, uh, can do.
- Van Cleve: All right. Then get on it.
- James Phelps: You can't get even unless you bet, and you can't bet if your pockets are full of holes.
- Van Cleve: Yes?
- Ralph Driscoll: I've got something For you, Van. Your survey project? It's top secret, all fenced in. I got blocked.
- Van Cleve: [sigh] Did you get anything at all on Younger or Dalby?
- Ralph Driscoll: Yes.
- Van Cleve: Well, go ahead. I'm listening.