S01E17. Reprisal
Original Broadcast Date: 15 April 1989
Phelps knocks on the door of a pawn shop which is closed. The pawn broker (Peter Rollo), wearing an eyeshade opens it, and lets him in. Phelps gives the man a ticket to redeem an item.
Pawn Broker: Want to describe this item for me?
Phelps: Brass-plated E-flat major harmonica.
Pawn Broker: Initials J.R.B. embossed on the left side?
Phelps: Close -- J.L.B.
Pawn Broker: I'd try the trunk in the corner. [The man goes to the back of the store via a gate.] I'll be in back if anybody knocks.
Phelps finds the trunk, which is a small black box located quite close to the gate. He removes the player and places it on top of the trunk. The password is 681.
Good morning, Jim. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. On the 27th of last month, one of your former team members, Laura Ann Wilson, was viciously murdered. What is most bizarre about the case is that your fingerprints were found at the scene. We know you were in Thailand on the night of the 27th. The local authorities, of course, are not privileged to the classified information of your whereabouts and consider you the key suspect. [Phelps rewinds the recording and listens to the last three sentences again.] However, through the intercession of the Secretary, they have agreed to keep the details confidential for one week and will not issue a warrant for your arrest. Jim, someone has tried to frame you for this murder. Your mission, which I feel you must accept, will be to find the person who is framing you and stop him. As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This disc will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.
Phelps hesitates for a second, then closes the recorder and walks away, leaving it on top of the trunk. Smoke billows from the machine.