In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995): Season 1, Episode 6 - Blind Spot: Part 2 - full transcript

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪

♪ I've got troubles
wall-to-wall ♪

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪

♪ Yeah

♪ Must be an ending
to it all ♪

♪ Oh

♪ But hold on

♪ It won't be long

♪ Just you be strong

♪ And it'll be all right

♪ In the heat
of the night ♪



♪ In the heat
of the night ♪

♪ Whoa whoa whoa

[insects and birds chirping]

[panting]

[horn honking]

I don't believe
I've ever seen
a pack as big as this.

That's a kilo, Chief.

How many guys
were in that swamp?

Uh, two, I think.

I didn't see any more.

Wallace kept
talking about, "They."

They shot Eddie Lee.

They shot John,
they were trying to kill him.

But it's all tied
to this cocaine.



See that's been opened
and resealed.

And what's missing
from this batch is identical
to what Rattler had.

You can count
on that.

And it's certainly part
of a larger haul.

So, you're back to
the smuggling notion.

Notion?
Chief, look at that stuff.
It's obvious, isn't?

So you think somebody's
bringing raw stuff
into Sparta?

No, not into Sparta,
through Sparta.

[telephone rings]

You take that,
and you lock it up.

Yes, sir.

[dog barking]

How you doing, Jim-Jim?

What's up? What's up?

Hi, Rattler.

Well, well, well...

This is beginning
to be a bad habit
falling on you, Chief.

Why?

Why shouldn't
I come down

and visit
a fine human being
like yourself?

[chuckles]

Must be time for me
to call
lawyer Montrose again.

No, no.

This isn't official.

You, know,
I just come down to see you
on something personal.

Now why don't
I like the sound of that?

I don't know, unless
you're scared of me.

[laughs]

In your dreams,
white man.

I'd like you
to take a spin with me.

I got a little piece
of property

I want to show you.

Then I'm going to
ask you for a favor.
You hear what I say?

And remember...

Any favor
anybody does me,

they always get
a favor in return.

Hey, dig this.

I'm going for a little spin
with the Chief.

The chief wanna ask a favor
of his main man Rattler.

-Come on.
-[man 1] You crazy nut!

Don't bite him, man.

All right.

Rattler crazy.

Smile, gents.

It isn't as if you
haven't seen me before.

[man 2] Hey, catch you
later, Rattler.

[indistinct chatter]

[birds chirping]

That's the way it is,
you know, Chief?

You quit school
'cause you need money.

But you
can't get no good job

unless you leave Sparta.

You don't want to leave,

but you want
to live good.

So you stick around

and find out
what it is you
got to do, see?

Now, I can't cook,

I don't do computers,

and I don't know nothing
about Wall Street.

So I got
to sell something

to sell the white man.

[chuckles] Yeah, Rattler, uh...

Yeah.

Now, this property
I was telling about...

Do you know this
little shack here?

Seen it. What's it
got to do with a favor?

Well...

This is where
they found John Reeve.

Why are you
showing me this?

I thought you could
tell me about it.

Tell you what?

I didn't have nothing
to do with it.

You had something
to do with that cocaine
found on you.

That sure had something
to do with it.

That John Reeve,
they tell me, is dying.

And you know what
John means to me.

I'll tell you again,
Chief...

I don't know nothing
about John.

Wallace is dead.
Eddie Lee's dead.

I had to tell Wallace's mama
last night, and Eddie
Lee's sister.

Hey, man,
what is your problem?

My problem is there's
two people dead.

And John Reeve...

Is lying over in
that hospital dying.

And someone gonna have
to pay for that.

Not me, man.

Sit down
before I kill you.

Kill me for what?

For self-defense.

Self-defense.
Chief, everybody knows
I don't carry nothing.

Yeah, that's why everyone
gonna believe me

when I say you come
at me with that ax
over there,

which they're gonna
find in your hand.

Now the favor I'm gonna
do you is let you live...

If you'll do me
the favor...

Of telling me some
things I got to know.

[cocks gun]

You hear?

I hear you, Chief.

I hear you.

Yeah, so what time
did they call?

Uh, that's it.

Two sets, one ID

Yes, sir. We'll have
a full report tomorrow.

All right, thanks.

They, uh, found
Rattler's prints

on that cocaine
envelope.

[Skinner] Yeah?

It's always nice
to have a little bit evidence

when you go
into court.

Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah.

What, the Chief ask you
to meet him here, too?

Yeah, yeah.

Now, Bubba, I'm putting
a 24-hour guard
on John Reeve.

You take the first shift
and then Junior pick ya up.

You think old Rattler
gonna try something
up here?

It isn't Rattler
I'm worried about.

Go ahead.

[Tibbs] They found Rattler's
prints on that envelope.

No ID on the others.

Yeah, well,
the other prints
are gonna be Wallace's.

The night you picked
up Rattler,

he wasn't sellin',
he was buyin'.

That little sample was
all he sold. He never
did see the big pack.

-Who says?
-He says.

I nearly
killed him today.

Anyway, you were right.
We're looking for
somebody bigger than him,

and that's why I'm not
gonna take any chances
with John.

What's wrong with you?

There.

He's alive.

Hey, you know,
I have this real nice
skirt and blouse

that I got in Jackson
about a year ago.

I'm sure it would
be good for traveling.

It's still in style.

Hey, I am gonna
show you off
in New York.

You are gonna
dazzle them.

Steve, I'm not a dazzler.

You will be.

All right.
Now, uh...

Where haven't we been?

There's this bargain
boutique I like--

Sweetheart, we're
not bargain hunting.

You keep looking.

I'll be back
in a second.

What the hell
are you doing here?

I think we missed him.

[Steve] What do you mean,
you missed him?

I'll tell you one thing.
There's no way
he saw us last night.

All right.
Be right back.

Look, uh,
something's come up.

Here.

You take this.

You know
what I have in mind.

Steve, wait a minute.
I can't take this.

[man] Yeah, I like those
little redheads, too.

Hi.

I know you think
I'm following you,

but I'm not.

It's my mama's birthday.

Oh, Lord, it is,
isn't it?

Oh, what did
you get her?

Some perfume and...

-S... Stupid little bag.
-[chuckles]

So, I'm glad
I ran into you

'cause I wanted
to say something.

I been acting
like a fool,

and I hope
you like New York.

Thank you, Buddy.

So, when you leaving?

I don't know.

I don't even know
if I am going.

I knew it.
I knew you'd get wise
to that guy.

There you go again,
always putting words
in my mouth.

I'm sick of it.

I care abut you.
Is that such a crime?

Well, maybe you care
too much.

Well, maybe I do.

Buddy...

I... I saw a real pretty
green scarf in Wal-Mart.

Think your mama
would like it?

-Maybe.
-[both chuckle]

You enjoy
doing detail work
on old vans?

Yeah. Synthetic fur
our specialty.

You know, I got
some strong suspicions

about where we should
be concentrating
our efforts.

I mean...

I'm not saying
it's Richie Epman.

I'm not saying
it's Steve Vincent.

But it is tied
to the Chamberlain place.

You mean
you think it's tied

to the Chamberlain
place.

Well, I mean,
that speech about, "It's not
the most expensive place.

It's just all tied up
with his childhood memories."

Yeah. It's also the only place
with a helipad,

a boat dock,

and its own
private airstrip.

It doesn't tell
me anything special.

The man's
a businessman.

He's got wide
traveling interests.

Yeah, I know. The savior
of Sparta's economy.

Chief, you can't do this one

without stepping
on some toes.

I mean, we're looking at
a drug-related homicide.

You get all sensitive
about the bank

and Richie Epman's money,

-the Mayor,
and the city council--
-Wait. Wait.

Let me tell you something.

Don't put down
being sensitive.

Being sensitive
to all kinds of people
and all kinds of things

may be the main part
of a policeman's job
in a place like Sparta.

Now, please
remember that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

[woman over intercom]
Respiratory tech
to inhalation therapy.

Respiratory tech
to inhalation therapy, please.

[John] Oh.

Oh.

Wallace...

Oh.

[Althea] John?

Oh.

[woman over intercom]
Dr. Robinson, line 217.

John is waking up.

I'm gonna get the doctor
and then call the Chief.

He deserves to hear
some good news.

John Reeve is
regaining consciousness.

-Is the doctor around?
-Yes, I'll go find her.

Okay.

How you doing?

Don't let anybody
in there.

Yes, sir.

Parker, it's Althea.

Has he?

Um, after a few seconds,

I heard him
say something.

But his eyes
opened... Slowly,

and then he mumbled
something again

that I didn't understand.

But I thought it had
to be a good sign
of something.

[indistinct chattering]

Excuse me, sir.

I'm going to have to see
some identification.

Sure.

[grunts]

[machines beeping]

[nurse] Cheryl,
go check in
on Mr. Reeve.

[beeping continues]

[gasps]

Ahhh!

Ahhh!

Oh! No!

No! Ahhh!

You all right?

[woman] Ahhh!

Ahhh!

Hold it!

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

[beeping]

Reception, this is
Chief Gillespie here.

If there's one
of my men down there,
tell him to stay there.

There's a police car
out front.
Tell him don't leave.

Just stay right
where he is.

Listen, get a doctor to look
after this officer here.

Now, stay out
of this hallway.

Clear out the way.

[woman] Ahhh!

Get back in there.

[man] Get us a doctor!

Mary Beth, look out!

Get out of the way.

Stand back.

[indistinct shouting]

Come on,
get out of the way.

Get back there now.

Drop it!

[people screaming] Ahhh! Ahhh!

Ahhh!

[sobbing]

[car engine starts]

[woman] I'll be okay.

[officer] Is that man dead?

[doctor] Yeah.

[Althea] Virgil!

Virgil!

[doctor] It just all
happened so fast.

I was just,
my heart was...

[man] Yes, yes he was.

Yes, ma'am,
he sure was.

It's all right now,
y'all go on back in.

[coughing]

[John breathing heavily]

That big guy
that was in here

is the one who shot me.

Yeah, I know.

Don't try
to talk too much now.

But Wallace...

Did... Did they shoot him?

Yeah, they shot him.

[sighs]

It's got me
a little worried, Jim.

A drug smuggler?
Epman?

We don't know
how far up it goes.

Maybe it's just
those two security guys
hanging around.

There you are,
Jim.

I talked to
Congressman Roshto.

He's coming to the
ground-breaking ceremony.

Lots of big money

showing real interest
in Sparta these days

now that Epman's
taking the lead.

Yes, indeed.
Good to see you. [laughs]

Hey, look, what we gotta
do is go out there and put
it to Richie straight out.

I wouldn't advise it.
If he isn't a part of it
you'll only offend him.

If he is, maybe you'll
tell him too much.

Look, I know how to handle him.
Now, come on. We're goin'.

Come with me.

No.

No.

It... It's not possible.

That's what I told' em.

It's more than possible.

It's fact.

What?
Right under my nose?

What...
What am I, blind?

Am I brain dead?
I would have known.

It seems that way
to me, too.

You'll understand if I resent
the hell out of
what you're implying.

Calm down, Richie.
Now, everybody knows
you didn't do it.

That's not a lot
of comfort, Jim.
I already know I didn't do it.

Gentlemen.

Do you know what these men
have been telling me?

What?

Logan and Bass.
You hired killers.

Didn't you
check references?

Of course I checked them.

They were both
highly recommended
by Paul Innis,

head of security
at Belk Petroleum.

Did you check
their records?

What?

Stop sayin', "What?"
and answer me!

Their records.
They're criminals.

They've been in and out
of the prisons on
the east coast

You know what
they been doing?

Smuggling cocaine
in my planes,
killing people!

I didn't know.

It's your damn job to know!

I'm sorry, Mr. Epman.

Sorry don't feed
the bulldog, boy.

You'll have my resignation
on your desk right away.

Wait a minute.
Let's not be too hasty here.

We'll talk
about it later, Steve.

Yes, sir.

Um, oh, Mr. Vincent.

Uh, your employee Bass
is dead,

but we don't know where
Mr. Logan is.

Where is he?

I don't know.
I haven't seen either
of them since yesterday.

Well, I may want
to talk to you again.

So, before you
leave Sparta...

Um, how shall I put it?

Uh, don't leave Sparta.

Yes, sir.

Coming here...

Coming home...

That's all I've
been dreaming about
for years.

Life sure has a way
of getting you back,
don't it?

Well, goodbye,
Mr. Epman.

[door closes]

Now, you see,
I knew there was
a logical explanation.

I think anybody can see
how something like this
could happen.

I mean, you hire people
to do a job, you trust them,

they turn around
and stab you in the back.
Happens every day.

I feel sorry for Epman is all.
He's taking it real hard.

I tell you what though,
I sure feel a hell
of a lot better.

How about you?

Well, I feel
I know a little
more than I did.

[laughs] We'll see you later.

[Tibbs]
Thanks a lot, Litsinger.

Next time
I'm in the market
for non-information,

I'll know who to call.

Who's Litsinger?

Mort Litsinger, DEA, Dallas.
I met him when I was
at a seminar in Houston.

He tell you anything
about Epman?

Yeah. They got
nothing on him.

Well, I expect that
breaks your heart.

No. I hope he's clean.

-Oh.
-I don't believe it.

I think he's still
the same greedy,

slippery little rascal
I knew 20 years ago.

But I hope I'm wrong.

Oh.

Chief, I live here, too.

I know what that plant
could do for people
in Sparta...

Lot of people I like,
some I don't.

I'm not
against prosperity.

Detective,
you got a call.

Oh, thanks.

It's a man.

He wouldn't
give his name.
I don't know why.

Maybe 'cause he didn't
want you to know it.

[chuckles]

Oh, it sounds like
it's long distance.

Oh.

Yeah, this is Tibbs.

The woods at the state
park in Yalobusha?

Yeah,
I know where that is.

Sure.

Yeah, yeah.

Yes, I can do that.

Come on.

Come on?
Where we going?

[Tibbs] To the state park.

No, listen, I got to see
a dentist at Tupelo.

Chief,
this is important.

Come on.

All right.

All right...

I'll go with you.

I'm in pain here,
though, I tell you.

What the hell's
he waiting for?

[Tibbs]
Feds are weird, Chief.

You know that.

Maybe we should have
worn trench coats.

Tibbs?

Who's this?

I'm his
Uncle Chester.

I'm Agent Brack, DEA.

Agent Litsinger
interfaced with me

prior to my contacting you.

So I gathered.

Agent Litsinger
requested that
I address several points.

He feels he may have
inadvertently left you
with a misconception or two.

Well, all he said
was he had
no information on Epman.

That's all
he wanted to say.

Why?

Phone lines can be
compromised, Chester.

Why don't you
talk English?

Chief!

We're here.
We might as well
listen.

So you're saying
you have something

on Epman after all?

No, but we're
always interested

in people with large sums
of untraceable cash.

We've been following
his career for some time.

But you've never
sourced the money?

[Agent Brack] He's covered it.

It's like one day
he was just there
with all that money.

And everything
he's done with it
is perfectly legitimate.

A plastics factory here,
a textile mill there,

investment firms,
merchandising outlets.

Sounds like
a businessman to me.

What's wrong
with all that?

With that kind of money,
there's always rumors.

Like what?

The usual,

rackets, drugs.

Frankly,
we can't document it.

So what are you
saying to us,
that Epman is dirty?

I'm saying
he's interesting.

We'd sure
like to know

what Richie Epman
built his empire on.

But you've got zip.

Let's just say,

you come up with anything,
we'd appreciate it
if you'd pass it on.

How the hell did a couple
of locksmiths get a hold of
that coke in the first place?

And what idiot stashed it
in this house?

Bass.

And where is it now?

Where's the rest
of the shipment,
the part the cops don't have?

It's gone.
New York.

It's hit
the streets.
We're out of it.

You better
hope that's true.

This is your mess,
Steve.

Clean it up.

Take a long drive,
we bring back nothing,

and we end up
working for the feds.

We ended up
with confirmation

that we were both thinking
the same thing, right?

Yeah, I was thinking
the same thing,

but I thought
you were out of line,
you were making

something personal
out of it.

Well, it was personal.

It was also instinct.

I know that man.

How can a guy
in times like these

do something like this
to his own hometown,

his own people?

You're looking
for conscience

from
a drug dealer?

Listen, I expected some
kind of conscience

from a poor boy
from Milltown who went
away from here to made good!

Yeah, well, you're gonna be
hearing a lot about that when we
nail him.

Lawyers love
that kind of stuff.

"Poor boy from
the wrong side of town,

everybody, everything
against him,

went wrong when he was just
trying to do right."

Okay, Epman's dirty.

But if he is,
so is Steve Vincent.

I got to go, Virgil.
I got to pay a call.

Chief, what are
you doing here?

Why, waiting for you.

Is something wrong?

No...

Well, yeah.

Barbara, you know...

I've been telling
everybody I've met

in the last few days

what a fine fellow
this Steve Vincent
seems to be.

I finally realized
what I was trying to do

was get somebody
to agree with me.

And... Nobody has.

Well, he hired
those two security guards,
who turned out to be killers.

One of them
tried to kill John Reeve
in the hospital today.

I expect
you heard that.

Yeah, but Steve
couldn't have had
anything to do with that.

Well, honey,
I don't want
to make you mad at me,

but I got to say that,

when it comes
to picking young fellas

to be interested in,
why, you--

I know, I got
a pretty miserable record.

Uh, Chief?

What?

I saw one of
those guards today.

Where?

At the mall.

Was he with anybody?

He was with Steve.

Uh-huh.

And well, I heard him
say something.

He said something like,

"There's no way he could
have saw us last night."

And then Steve
just kinda hushed him up.

Hmm.

How, uh...

Close are you
with this guy?

It's nothing
like that.

But he asked me to go
to New York with him.

I certainly hope you're not
gonna do any fool thing like
that.

I was, but
I changed my mind.

Are you telling me you are
definitely not going?

Yes, I'm not going.

Chief, I'm not going,
okay?

Okay

Bye.

I'll see you.

[sighs]

[knock on door]

-Hi, John.
-Evening, Miss Giles.

Mr. Vincent
didn't tell me
you were expected.

I know I just have
to return something.
It'll only be a minute.

[knock on door]

Come in.

No, don't. Don't.

I know what
you're going to say.

Sit down.

Now look,
I just can't go to
New York with you, okay?

I can't. It wouldn't be
right sneaking off
with my folks out of town.

And here.

I can't take that.
I can't spend that money.

Like I said,
I'm just not a dazzler.

I wouldn't know what to do with
a lot of fancy clothes.

Well,
I guess that's it then.

I guess it is.

Well, did you do it yet?
Steve, did you kill Logan?

[sighs]

You should've
called first.

How's old John
doing. Chief?

Oh, coming along,
coming along.

Um, um...

Mayor Findlay
called three times.

He said it's urgent you two
get together to work out

the PR aspects
of the situation.

He said you'd know what
he's talking about.

I never know
what our mayor's
talking about,

which gives me one thing
in common with
a billion Chinese.

Anything on Logan?

Not yet, but the alert's
gone statewide.

All right.

Buddy, what are you
doing here?

I really need
to talk to you.

Well, go on inside.

Let's hear it.

I ran into
Barbara yesterday.

Buddy, if this is
advice to the lovelorn,

I gotta tell you,
I got a lot of things
on my mind--

No, no, no. We got
along great and all.

And I went and
saw her last night,

and she was glad to
see me. I swear.

She was going to
the Chamberlain
house

to talk to that
Steve Vincent.

And, uh...

Yeah, what?

Well, she said she had
to talk to him last night,

and she'd see me
this morning.

So I just went over there
a little while ago,
and she's not there.

Now, I went next door,
and talked to Mrs. Givens.

And you know how she has a run
on everybody's private life,

know what's goin' on
and all.

Well, she hadn't seen Barbara
since last night.

What did Barbara have
to talk to Vincent about?

I don't know.

But I don't think she came home
at all last night,

and I'm...
A little worried.

Parker!

Yes, sir.

Get that guy Steve Vincent
on the phone for me.

Oh, no.
I already called him too.

And he said left for New York
last night on a company plane.

Oh, no, she didn't.

No, she didn't.

Oh, Virgil.

You come with me,
will you?

You're supposed
to be smart guy.

I see you with
a little bimbo,

I think, what the hell?
He's having himself some fun.

-What's the harm in that?
-That's all it was.

It was nothing.

Things have a way
of gettin' out of control
around you, Steve.

Now, why is that?

Nothing is
out of control.

I took care of Logan.

I'll take care
of Barbara.

Why haven't you?

I already told the redneck kid
that she flew out of here in the
company plane.

The flight log's
been doctored.

And a ringer check her into a
New York hotel under her name.

Tomorrow she's history.

She's just another
little country girl

who walked down the wrong
street in the big city.

It's handled.

It had better be.

I already got a feeling I
already made a mistake with you,
Steve.

Anything goes wrong
this time,

you're gonna be joining your
friends Logan and Bass, hmm?

Y'all get over
to that airstrip.

If that airplane's there,
you keep it there.

Let's go.

I know
it was sudden,

but she wanted to do
some shopping
and I couldn't get away,

so I'm going
to meet her as soon as I can.

Yeah, little Barbara
always crazy

about shopping
in New York.

[chuckles]

Well, the fact is,
Chief...

I guess there's no point in
keeping it a secret any longer.

Barbara and I are
gonna get married
in New York,

and she went on ahead
to choose
a wedding dress.

And that's why
she flew out last night.

Where's that airplane
at this moment?

On the field.

Get the flight log.

What are you looking at?
Go get it.

And where's Barbara supposed to
be staying in New York?

[Steve] Danby-Plaza hotel.

Small, but I think
she'll like it.

Very central location.

What is the number
for information
in New York city?

Hey, Richie.

Shovel's losing
its glitter.

You got me, Virgil.

The one I ordered
from Europe

didn't get here
in time for the party.

Thought I had
that rigged up.

Some kind
of special gold paint.

I thought
it looked pretty good.

Does...
If you don't
look too close.

What did he do to you?

Barbara.

Can you talk to me, please?

Wake up, honey.

The hotel says
somebody like Barbara,

with her name,
checked in.

But the room
doesn't answer.

What do you mean,
"Like Barbara"?

What makes you think
it isn't her?

I know her.

And everything I know
tells me it isn't her.

I'm going to get
you home, all right?

[Barbara groaning]

Come here.

Get you
on your feet.

Ah.

[thud]

Come on, now.

[groaning continues]

Hey.

Put her down.

You really
going to shoot me

with the Chief
and Mr. Tibbs out there?

You've been asking
for it, punk.

Ain't that the truth.

[grunting]

Sounds like he's trying
to bring me back
the airplane.

Come on!

[grunting continues]

[Gillespie] Buddy!

Don't stop them
this time, Virgil.

I think
the home team
is winning.

[grunts]

Okay, Barbara.
We're here.

Richie!

[grunting and groaning]

[tires screeching]

[Epman grunts]

Ow!

Well, it looks
a lot like

self-satisfaction
on your face,
Virgil.

I don't blame you.

You've spent
20 years hating me.

Not hating you, Richie,
just waitin' for everybody
to see you

for what you really are.
After you.

Here you are, Chief.
He's all yours.

[car horn honks]

Hello, Barbara.

She sure
is bouncing back.

Where she's going to bounce
from here worries me.

My favorite place
to have lunch.

Oh, lord.

Speak of bouncing,
look.

[mayor] Hi, Chief Gillespie.

Chief of Detectives
Tibbs.

Hello, Mr. Grimes.
Hello, Mayor.

Hello.

I'd like to introduce you
gentlemen to Mr. Hamp Stigler
of Brownsville, Texas.

Well, please to meet you.

Same here.

Howdy.

You all really say that?

[mayor] Uh, Mr. Stigler's
been looking over

some of our
prime commercial
real estate.

Are you figuring on
locating here, Mr. Stigler?

Well--

[Grimes]
We've just been explaining

how much pride
that Sparta takes

in catering to the needs

of the businessman.

Well, I'm mighty impressed
with the plans
they've been showing me,

I'll tell ya that.

Industrial park,
new shopping mall.

We're a very
ambitious community, Hamp.

Yeah. Some folks
are more ambitious
than others.

I was telling Hamp,

that if he planned
on settling in Sparta,

there's some
wonderful old houses

coming on the market
right now.

Virgil, Bill.

Gentlemen.

Well, hold on,
Mayor.

What you just said

puts me in mind
of something.

I got something here
I'd like to show you.

What is it?

Only take a second.

This is a memento
from one of those
fine old houses.

-I thought you might like it.
-That is not funny,
Gillespie.

[Tibbs laughing]

Well, you know, they say that

those who forget
the past are condemned
to repeat it.

It seems I've heard
that somewhere before.

I told it to Parker
the other day.

Probably all
over town by now.

[laughs]