- A commercial psychic uses a mystic hearing aid to read the thoughts of his audience.
- A stage mentalist, Adam Cole, gets hold of a cursed hearing aid that lets him read minds for real, but at the cost of eventually having to project the accumulated thoughts into a victim--killing them--or dying himself. The trio have to confront Adam on stage during a talk show to expose him and get the hearing aid back.—Gislef
- A banker, Gerald Maxwell, is driving through the night to his doctor, barely in control of his car. He clutches at a hearing aid in his right ear, the side of his head swelling as Maxwell moans in pain. Maxwell finally swerves to the sidewalk and falls out of his car, clutching at his head in pain. He begs the hearing aid to stop, and he goes to the nearby office of his doctor, Dr. Walter Risbeck, an audiologist.
Risbeck is working his lab when Maxwell begs him to get the hearing aid out of his ear. Maxwell's entire head is swollen, and he refuses to go to the hospital. Maxwell says that the hearing aid can't make him anymore, and pulls it out of his ear. The aid is extending a long tentacle, and the tentacle comes out of Maxwell's ear canal. Maxwell throws it on the ground, and the tentacle twitches and then retracts into the aid as Risbeck stares at Maxwell as he dies.
Later at Curious Goods, Jack collects Micki to go to an auction with her. Johnny is typing stories based on tabloid articles, because Micki and Jack won't let him write anything about what they do. Jack explains that the auction is an exclusive one, and Maxwell, who owned the estate, bought six antiques from Lewis and hasn't returned any of their calls. As Jack and Micki leaves, Johnny reads more of the tabloid articles... including one about Maxwell's head exploding Risbeck's office.
That night, Adam Cole is on a stage in a cheap bar. His partner Phil is in the audience, the two of them doing a mentalism routine. Adam has trouble hearing Phil's secret verbal cues, and Phil has to repeat his statement twice. Despite that, Adam finally picks up the cue and covers over his lapse. Afterward in their dressing room, Phil tells Adam that he'd better get a hearing aid. Adam refuses because it will make him look stupid, and Phil says that it's his act and Adam will do what he says. Adam insists that people are coming to see him, and Phil points out that Adam is a no-talent hustler without him.
The next day, Adam goes to Risbeck's office, and Risbeck confirms that Adam has lost hearing in his left ear. He says that Adam needs a hearing aid and goes to take a call after telling Adam to pick one aid out of his selection. Adam looks through Risbeck's drawers and finds Maxwell's aid, gently pulsing. He puts it up to his right ear and hears Risbeck talking in the next room.
Risbeck comes back in and says that the aid belonged to another patient, and it's an antique. Once Risbeck leaves, Adam puts the aid up to his ear and can hear through it clearly. Adam pockets the aid and leaves.
Later in his dressing room, Adam puts the aid in. Phil is watching and tells him that he has no excuse for screwing up. He assures Adam that no one will see the aid, and Randi Hamill from The Stan Elliott Show will be there. Phil explains that he'll pick Randi out and Adam will say everything Phil told him about her.
On stage, Adam and Phil do their routine. Phil picks out Randi, and Adam compliments her on her beauty. Adam hears the thoughts of the audience members, including Phil thinking that Adam should do something. The stage performer rips off his blindfold, yelling at the thought-voices to shut up. The aid pulses in his ear, and one guy at the bar says Adam is a fake.
Adam reads the man, Andy's, thoughts and says that he'd kill himself if anyone knew he killed his cousin. Andy nervously "thinks" that the police couldn't have found the body, and Adam recites everything the man is thinking. Adam says exactly how Andy killed his cousin, and that he still has the gun he used. Andy draws the gun and shoots at Adam, and misses. Two of the bar bouncers drag Andy away, and Adam hears Randi thinking that he's a sensation.
Phil goes up to Adam and asks what's going on, while Randi "thinks" that Adam is good-looking and would like to have a drink with him. Adam's head pulses where the aid has extended a tentacle, and Adam moans in pain and staggers out into the back alley and runs off.
At the shop, Micki and Jack tell Johnny that they got five of the six antiques at the auction. The only one missing is an antique hearing aid. Johnny remembers the article and confirms that the estate owner, Maxwell, was the one who died. Jack checks the phonebook to find Maxwell's number.
Adam staggers to Risbeck's office, still moaning in pain as the thoughts overwhelm him.
Risbeck takes Jack's call, and Jack asks about Maxwell's death. Adam comes in, grabs Risbeck, and tells the doctor to make it stop. Risbeck drops the phone, and Adam projects the thoughts into Risbeck's brain, causing the doctor to bleed from the eyes and then die.
Jack tells Micki and Johnny that they're going over to Risbeck's office.
Adam sighs in relief, the thoughts gone.
A few minutes later, the trio arrive at the office and finds Risbeck's corpse.
Adam goes to see Randi, carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses. She puts up token resistance, and Adam recites her thoughts. After a moment, Randi lets him in.
Jack and Johnny search for the antique but it's gone. Micki finds Risbeck's appointment book, and the trio split up the patients to check them and find the aid.
The next morning, Adam and Randi have sex. Afterward, Randi dares Adam to read her thoughts. He figures she wants him to do Stan's show that night, and Adam realizes that she wants to run the show. Randi freely admits that she does, and Adam tells her that someday she might. As Randi goes to get dressed, Adam calls Phil at the apartment they share, and Phil says that the police wanted to know how Adam knew about the killer. Booking agents have also been calling, and Phil tells Adam that they can get a job anywhere they want.
Adam tells Phil that he's appearing on Stan's show that night, and he's breaking up his partnership with Phil because he doesn't need his cues. Jack arrives at the apartment door and when Phil answers, asks him if Adam is there. Phil says that he was Adam's partner, and knows that Adam visited Risbeck. Jack explains that he wants to ask Adam questions about Risbeck's death, and Phil tells him to check Stan's show before slamming the door in Jack's face.
Jack returns to the shop and says that Adam is the person with the aid. Micki has heard about Adam picking out the killer, and Jack knows that the mind-reading act is just an act, and Adam couldn't have read Andy's mind without magical help. He figures Adam really can read minds using the aid, and tells Johnny and Adam to check Stan's show while he does some digging.
That night at the show, Adam does his routine solo. Micki and Johnny are in the audience, and Micki spots Adam wearing the aid. Adam hears her thought, and a drunken Phil sits down in the audience while Adam picks a woman, Cheryl. Cheryl asks Adam if her boyfriend Robbie really wants to marry her, and Adam continues to read Micki's mind about how she thinks he might be the killer. Adam tells Cheryl that Robbie is going to marry her, and invites him to take out the engagement ring he has in his pocket.
Adam goes up on stage with Stan, and Adam jokingly reads Stan's mind. He continues to read Micki's mind as she heads for the stage.
After the show, Randi tells Adam that Stan wants him back the next night. She thinks that they could go places together, and Adam picks up on her thoughts. Randi is clearly enamored with Adam, who reads her thoughts about him. As they leave, Adam says that he'll come back as often as Stan wants as long as Randi is producing the show. He knows that Stan is looking to get rid of the person Randi would replace, and says that he's just very perceptive.
The couple kiss and go into Adam's new dressing room. A drunken Phil is waiting, and Adam sends Randi on her way. Adam's ex-partner says that Adam can't leave him high and dry. When Phil says that he knows what happened with Risbeck, and figures Andy kills Risbeck and Adam found out about it. He tells Adam that he's a no-talent hustler and someone already knows that someone got lucky. Phil threatens to tell other people, and the thoughts start to overwhelm Adam.
Phil angrily says that Adam will come crawling back to him and walks out past Micki. Micki comes in and introduces herself, compliments Adam, and sees Adam clutching at his neck beneath his right ear. Adam hears her thinking that she has to get the aid back, and she leaves.
Outside on the street, Micki tells Johnny that she deliberately thought Adam was the killer so that he's come after her. She walks off, and Adam follows her and Johnny secretly follows Adam. Adam continues to monitor Micki's thoughts, Johnny almost hits a pedestrian, and a policeman stops him. By the time Johnny gets clear, Micki and Adam have disappeared.
Adam follows Micki down an alleyway and tackles her. Micki yells that she can help Adam, and he insists that he doesn't need help. Johnny pulls up and Adam runs off before he can kill Micki, clutching at his head as the thoughts start overwhelming him.
Back at the shop, Johnny tells Jack that Adam tried to kill Micki. She says that Adam knew, and he's in pain. Jack explains that he found out how the curse works: the aid lets the user hear what other people are thinking, but then the thoughts have to be released. He doesn't know how to stop Adam, but warns that no one is safe until they stop him.
Adam goes back to his apartment, yelling for Phil. When Phil comes out, he figures Adam is drunk. Adam repeats Phil's earlier words that he needs him, grabs him, and projects the thoughts into Phil's mind. Phil dies, and Randi comes in having seen what happened. She tries to leave and Adam grabs her and pulls her back into the apartment. Adam tells Phil that all that matters is the two of them, and he killed Phil to keep his power. He knows that Stan made Randi his new producer, and tells her that she got what she wanted because of him. Adam promises her that if she stays with him, she can have everything she wants for the rest of her life.
Randi goes back to her home with Adam, who insists that he will always know if someone finds out his secret and then he'll kill them. He assures Randi that she can have power and wealth, and that Randi will always have someone who knows what she wants. Randi thinks that Adam is perfect for her and he "hears" her, and they kiss.
The next day, Micki reads an article that Stan is offering $50,000 to anyone who can prove Adam is a fraud. Johnny wonders why Adam would settle for a talk show if he can read minds, and Jack figures that Adam's agenda will get bigger unless they stop him. Micki suggests that Phil might know something, and they go to Phil's apartment.
At the studio, Randi introduces the network president, Henry Feldman, to Adam. He says that the $50,000 reward is a small price to pay for the ratings they'll get. Feldman invites Adam to his office the next day, and once he leaves Adam tells Randi to cancel the other guest so Feldman can see what he can do.
The trio go to the apartment and find Phil's corpse. They head to the studio, figuring that's where Adam is.
At the studio, Stan complains to Randi that he's never done a talk show with one guest. Randi assures him that Adam will work the audience most of the time and it will work. The show begins, and Adam smiles at Randi in triumphant.
As they drive to the studio, Jack has determined from his research that Adam can only read one mind at a time. He figures that if they go after Adam together, one of them should get him.
On the show, Adam clutches at his neck and tells the audience that Stan hid his paycheck on one of them. Meanwhile, the trio arrive and try to get past the guard. Randi hears them and tells them they can meet with Adam after the show. Meanwhile, Adam finds the audience member with his paycheck.
Randi takes the trio to Adam's dressing room, and they see Adam on the TV, clutching at his neck. Randi locks them in, and Jack figures that she's Adam's willing ally. Meanwhile, Adam staggers down the hallway and says that he has to kill someone to get through the show. Randi tells him that Jack is inside with two others. Furious that she brought him three people instead of one, Adam kills Randi.
The show comes back from commercial, and Stan covers for Adam's absence. Adam comes out, restored, and goes into his routine. Jack manages to take the hinges off of the dressing room door with a penknife, and they find Randi's body out in the hallway.
Adam asks for his next challenger, and Jack steps out and says that he'll challenge him. When Adam asks what is hidden in Jack's mind, Jack "thinks" that he knows about Randi and challenges Adam to take off the aid. Jack says that he's seen mentalists use receives to get information from a plant in the audience. Johnny comes up backstage and "thinks" to Adam that he's surrounded, and Micki is there.
The audience starts to turn against Adam, figuring that he's a fake. Jack says that Adam can't read minds without the aid, and Adam's head swells as the thoughts overwhelm him. Adam falls to the stage, blood pouring out of his ear. When the aid extends its tentacles through the left side of his head, Adam pulls it out and drops it to the stage before dying. The tentacle retracts into the aid, and Johnny picks up the aid and leaves.
Later at the shop, Jack examines the aid. Jack says that he knew Adam couldn't back down once he was in the spotlight.
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