In Harperville at the First Bank, John Arnold is working on the computer as Margaret Carlson looks on. She’s astonished that the computer can do everything that she can do. Her superior, Robert Sanders, assures her that Compucon’s handling of their funds will increase the bank’s efficiency by 80%. Arnold agrees and assures them that when he transfers the accounts on Monday, the entire system will work automatically. As Margaret goes, Arnold tells her that there are some things the computer can’t do. He continues to taunt her, and demands the $15,000 by Monday. She insists that she can’t, but Arnold says that she’ll be in a lot of trouble if she doesn’t
At Klae, Walter is trying to leave for the New York office to geta critical grant, and gives the Westins his number if they need to reach him. His AuntMargaret arrives and greets her nephew, and Walter introduces her to the Westins. Margaret says asks if they could talk about something complicated, but Walter gets word that his taxi has arrived and asks if they can talk about it later in the week. His aunt says that it’ll be too late and will call her where she’s staying, and Margaret says that she didn’t have a place and should go home. Kate, overhearing, offers their place.
That night, Daniel and Kate relax at home and assure Margaret she feels like one of the family. She says that Walter is her little family, and Kate realizes that something is wrong. Margaret says that there’s nothing wrong and goes to bed, and Kate notices the large bag that she’s carrying. Their guest says that it’s her pin money and leaves.
A couple of hours later, Margaret waits until the Westins are asleep and then sneaks downstairs and makes a call. Daniel hears the dial and wakes up Kate, and they listen as Margaret calls a taxi. Once she’s done, Daniel removes his disguise and says that he’s following Margaret. Once they get where Margaret is going, he’ll call Kate.
Daniel invisibly follows Margaret out to the taxi and gets in with her. She goes to Tex’s Bar, where everyone knows her by name. She goes in the back and the doorman, Tex, says that he thought her losing streak might have scared her away. Margaret sits down at a poker table and dumps out thousands of dollars from her bag. Two of the players are cheating, signaling and passing cards, and One of them, Tex, defeats Margaret.
Kate is dozing on the couch when Daniel calls and explains that Margaret has last $10,000. He says that he’s going to help her win it back, and goes back to the poker room. Tex accepts Margaret’s marker, and Daniel uses a spare deck to hand off the two cheats the wrong cards. Tex hesitates and then finally folds, much to his partner’s surprise. Margaret wins the hand and agrees to keep playing.
That morning, Daniel returns home and turns off the light, and then kisses Kate awake. He tells her what happened and that Margaret is on the way back to Harperville with $20,000. Daniel figures that it’s all over and it none of his business, but Kate insists on going to Harperville to investigate further.
The Westins drive to Harperville and find Margaret’s address in the phone book. Margaret is busy counting her money when the Westins ring the bell. She closes the door when she sees who it is and goes to hide the money. Once she does, she invites the couple in and all the money she failed to hide is scattered on the floor. More moneyspills out of the cabinets when Margaret gets tea for them, and she claims that she left her oven on and had to get home.
Daniel finally demands an answer, and Kate says that they know about the poker. Margaret breaks into tears and swears them to secrecy, and says that when Sanders modernized the bank with a bookkeeping computer, she didn’t have enough money to retire. She had been playing poker for years with the locals, and they thought she should go to the city and make enough money to retire in style. A truck driver called Tex and got Margaret an invitation, and she lost her savings in the first night. Margaret then embezzled money from the bank, expecting to pay it back when she won. She lost $20,000 and borrowed $30,000, and Arnold knows what she’s been doing. He demanded half of what she’d taken, and gave her until Monday to pay him the $15,000.
Daniel figures that Arnold will blackmail Margaret whether she pays the money back or not, and figures that they have until the next day--Monday--toget the money back into the bank. The vault is on a time lock so Daniel can’t get in, so he suggests that they “rob” the bank and put the money in instead of taking it out. Margaret enthusiastically seizes on the idea.
Later, Daniel, Kate, and Margaret case the bank. Daniel figures that Kate can take the money into the bank with Margaret, and he’ll pose as the robber. He assures Margaret that he’ll “vanish” before the police get there. They pass two men, Big Nose and Baldy, on the street. The two men are planning to rob the bank for real.
That night at Margaret’s house, Daniel continues planning and tells Margaret that he’ll just walk into the police station and unhook the alarm from the bank under the desk sergeant’s desk. Once Daniel leaves, Walter calls from his office after returning from New York, and tells Margaret that he raised the funds. He asks about the Westins, and Margaret says that they’re with her before Kate can stop her. She puts Kate on the line, and Kate says that Daniel is out for a walk. Once she hangs up, Walter realizes that something is going on and heads for Harperville.
At the station, Sgt. Mersky is at his desk when Daniel invisibly slips in. He knocks on the door, drawing Mersky over, and cuts the alarm wires while the sergeant is at the door. Daniel thanks Mersky and leaves, and the puzzled sergeant wonders what is going on.
Back at Margaret’s, Daniel tries to warm up. She’s surprised that Mersky didn’t see him, and Daniel doesn’t explain. Arnold arrives at the door and Margaret closes the door in his face, and asks the Westins what they should do. Daniel tells her to talk to Arnold, and Margaret claims that she doesn’t have the money. She shoves him out and slams the door, and then breaks into tears. The Westins assures her that Arnold will get his the next day.
The next morning, Kate goes to Carter’s Five-and-dime and buys a mask. He says that it’s the third one that he’s sold that week.
As the guard unlocks the bank door, Daniel invisibly takes his gun and tosses it into Kate’s bag as she walks by. Kate then returns to Margaret’s house and shows her the gun before Margaret goes. Daniel has her empty the bullets out of the gun then comes out wearing the mask. He tells Kate to have Margaret leave the vault before he removes his disguise, and then Kate will smuggle it out the same way she brought the money in. Kate worries that they’ll go to jail if the plan fails, and Daniel assures her that he has a way out and will come visit her.
Margaret goes to the bank and Arnold says that it’s her last chance. She refuses and he activates the computer.
Kate goes to the bank wearing a wig and a stuffed bag to make her look pregnant. Daniel comes in wearing the mask and holding the gun, and orders everyone down. The teller sounds the silent alarm, while Daniel “forces” Margaret and Kate to come with him to the vault. They put the money in, just as the bell over the door rings. Daniel goes out and discovers that it’s Walter. He ducks back and asks what to do, and Kate tells him to have Walter lie down on the floor with the others. Walter does so and Daniel goes back to help the women get the money out of the bag under Kate’s dress.
Big Nose and Baldy pull to the bank and put on the same masks as Daniel.
At the police station, Mersky gets a call from Sanders that the alarm went off at his house. Mersky says that they’ll check it.
Big Nose and Baldy go in, guns drawn, and discover that everybody is already on the floor.
Mersky and his men head to the station.
Big Nose and Baldy grab Arnold and demand the money. They take him to the vault and knock over a tray of quarters. Daniel comes out and the robber demands to know who he is. The robber orders Daniel to take off his mask, and he does. Arnold faints in shock and Daniel knocks out the robber. Kate tells Margaret to keep unloading the money, while Daniel puts on his mask and goes out to find the other robbers. The other robber assumes that he’s his partner, and Walter grabs the robber’s leg. Daniel grabs the robber’s gun and struggles for it before the crook can shoot Walter.
The police pull up outside just as the first robber comes in, and Kate assumes that he’s Daniel. Meanwhile, Mersky and his men enter the lobby and the robber knocks Daniel down and runs into the vault. The police grab Daniel, and Sanders arrives. Mersky grabs a loudspeaker and orders everyone to come out.
The robber refuses to remove his mask, and Margaret takes away what she assumes is the unloaded gun and warns that he can’t shoot his way out. She accidentally fires a shot into the ceiling, and the robber surrenders to her. She and Kate take both robbers out, and the customers and staff applaud Margaret. Kate suggests that they unmask the robbers--including Daniel--in private. While Margaret goes to Walter, the police unmask the two robbers. They remove Daniel’s mask... and discover that it’s Arnold. Sanders realizes that Arnold was in the bank to case it for a robbery.
Kate goes to the vault, saying that she left something behind. Daniel whisper that it was a neat trick.
Later at Margaret’s house, Walter reads a story about how the bank found a missing $10,000. The police still don’t know if Arnold had anything to do with the robbery, but he is guilty of computer embezzlement. There were other irregularities, but Sanders said that they were irrelevant as long as the bank was safe. He promises that in honor of her heroism, Margaret will have a job as long as she wants one. Daniel and Kate doze off after their busy weekend, and Margaret admits that she’s glad it’s over. Walter asks Daniel where he was, and Daniel wakes up and says that he was at a costume party. Walter goes to get some champagne from the cabinet, and comes back with a handful of leftover bank money that he found. Margaret looks over at the Westins and shrugs.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 12, 2016