Tropical Heat (1991–1993): Season 3, Episode 21 - Poison Ivy - full transcript
Nick is hired to find a woman who got hold of a new deadly drug. As his search progresses, Nick begins to wonder if he was actually hired to find the drug itself.
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- Well hi there.
- Remember me?
- You're the guy from Tropical Heat.
- I am the Tropical Heat.
You get my flowers?
- And your card, there
should be a law against
writing things like that.
- There is.
- What brings you out this way?
- I'm delivering a dinner.
- I didn't order anything.
- Oh I wasn't going to let that stop me.
Your favorite, chef's salad.
Of course I have no idea
what the chef's gonna eat.
Let's see what goes with that?
You got barbecue spare ribs marinara,
little melon in prosciutto
with Parmesan curls.
A toasted shrimp and swordfish sandwich,
and a toasted almond mocha tart.
- Looks like there's
enough for a small army.
- You got your mayo,
mustard, relish, tartar sauce
and what?
I asked the chef for condiments.
- Care to join me?
- That depends on what
we're gonna be doing.
- Drinking wine for starters.
- To your health.
- Oh my god it's hot, must be the wine.
- Could be the company.
- May I ask you a personal question?
- Pajamas, but only
on top, how about you?
- Let's leave that as a surprise.
For now, you can tell me why
you've been following me.
- Following you?
- You were at the market
yesterday when I was shopping.
I saw you last night in the parking lot
when I was coming out from dinner.
And now I see you here.
Well, Key Maria is such a tiny place.
- Not that tiny.
- Okay you got me, I'm smitten.
- I'm Ivy.
- Finally, perfect time
to make my introduction.
- Unfortunately for both of us
I don't think this is the time.
- You alright?
- Just a little too much wine I'm afraid.
- Tell you what, why don't
you let me drive you home?
- Thank you but I'll catch a cab.
- No it's okay my Jeep's right out front.
- I said I'll catch a cab.
I don't need a detective
to take care of me.
- Detective?
- You're not fooling
me, I know who you are.
- Well if you know who I am
then you know how important
it is that you talk to me.
- Look I'll talk to you, but not now.
You know my address, meet
me there tomorrow at 10.
It's done, I put it in his
wine, now give me the antidote.
Please, you bastard!
We had a deal.
You can't do this to me!
It's been three days
and I haven't heard a word from you.
- Well we don't normally call
unless we have something to say.
- But you promised me results.
- Mr Slaughter's been out
there working feverishly
day and night to-
- Ooh!
Watch that step it's a doozy, hi.
- Nick, we were just talking about you.
Ms Donner is here for an
update on the Hutton case.
- Hutton?
Hutton.
- Her assistant at RES
Pharmaceutical Labs, Nick?
The one she thinks stole her research.
The woman you've been
following for three days.
That Ivy Hutton.
Sorry it's been one of those mornings.
Actually I finally made
contact with the subject
last night at a cafe
called the Pink Heron.
Or was that the Pink Herring?
- Ms Donner, will you excuse
us for just one moment.
- No I got it, it was the Pink Herring.
- Can I talk to you outside.
- Mm Hmm, good bye.
- Look at you, you're wrecked.
- What?
- I don't care what kind
of debouch you get to
on your own time, but when
it comes to our business.
- I had one beer, and one sip of wine.
- A sip?
What did you do put a straw in the bottle?
- Look I'm an expert on hangovers
this is not one of them.
Jeez it's hot in here.
- Look at you you're soaking wet.
- It's a bug, I'll get rid of it.
Now go make nice to our
client, take her to lunch
at the Tropical Heat.
- Where are you going?
- I've got to go say hi to Ivy Hutton.
Say goodbye to Ms Blitzen.
- Donner, Nick.
- Right.
- Donner!
- God it.
- We're doing the best we can.
- Well it's just not good enough.
- Excuse me, you haven't
touched your food.
Is there anything wrong?
- I guess I'm just not very hungry.
- Nicole, would you bring
me a doggy bag please?
- Sure boss, coming right up.
- That isn't necessary.
- Yes it is, I can serve this food again.
- Ms Donner.
Are you sure you don't want to eat.
- I don't want food I want answers.
- Cases like this take time.
- I don't have time, for all
I know my work could have been
sold to the highest bidder.
- If this drug of yours can
dissolve cerebral blood clots
while in surgery it
could be worth millions.
- It will save millions of lives.
- If anybody can find if Ivy
stole your records, Nick can.
- When, after she's sold all my secrets?
I've been working on that drug for years.
I was almost at the point
submitting it for field trials.
- I know it's horrible to
exploit a discovery like that.
- Oh there's always someone
willing to make money
out of other people's lives, and deaths.
- No evidence of a struggle sir.
- I've examined the deceased, thank you.
- No bullet holes, no stab wounds.
- I did manage to notice that.
- It's a murder mystery sir.
- The only mystery so far is
why I haven't murdered you yet.
Go away.
And try not to step on any clues.
- You know I've been dying
to ask you this Lieutenant,
where did you find Deke?
- I didn't, his uncle
the right honorable mayor
found him for me.
- Ah.
- Who was she anyway?
- Her name was Ivy Hutton.
She worked at RES Labs, I
was tailing her for a client.
- Who's the client?
- Jane Donner, her boss.
She does research up at RES,
something about stolen records.
- You're being unusually
cooperative today,
you feeling okay?
- Funny you should ask.
- When's the last time you
saw this Hutton woman alive?
- About 10:30 last night.
We were at the Ping Heron,
she bought me a glass of wine,
told me that she knew
I was following here.
- Must be losing your touch Nick.
Did you see her speaking to anyone else?
Nick?
You alright Nick?
Nick?
- What?
- What's a matter with you?
- Rough night I guess.
Can we continue this in
your air conditioned office?
- What is this a tea party?
For all we know this woman
could have been murdered.
- Yeah, listed I'll come
by the station, I promise.
- Soon as you find your
sea legs, and I mean it.
You sure you're okay?
- Mm hmm.
- So much for a nice clean
case of industrial espionage.
- They've taken the body to a morgue.
Rollie's gonna do an autopsy.
I'm on my way to break the news to Donner.
- Are you feeling any better?
- Hell of a lot better than Ivy, I think.
- When I first suspected
Ivy of stealing my papers,
I actually wished her dead.
Now that it's happened, why?
Who would have done it?
- That's what I hope to find out,
who else knew about your research?
- Hold on you're not suggesting
the theft of my research's
got something to do with her death?
- It's a good place to start.
- Well, myself and Ivy and Dr Russo.
- Who's he?
- Well he used to work here at RES,
he approved my project right
before he left the lab.
Are you okay?
- You wouldn't have a stomach
pump on you would you?
- Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting.
- Hi Dr Airheart, this is Nick Slaughter,
he's been having stomach pains.
- Well perhaps I should take a look.
Uh oh, hmm.
There's some definite inflammation here.
I wouldn't take any chances,
do you have a doctor here?
- Yeah but he's out in
California for a month.
- Dr Airheart's chief of staff.
- Pleasure.
- Mr Slaughter's just
given me some bad news.
Ivy has been found dead.
- Oh my god, where how?
- The details are vague,
they're doing an autopsy.
- Look, go and see this man.
His name is Dr Benjamin
Richards, he used to work here.
- Yeah, no one on the island
knows more about toxicology.
- Toxicology, you mean like poison?
- Yeah.
- The first job of a doctor
is to rule out possibilities.
- Yeah, well I hope the
second is to cure me.
Have a nice day.
Hey what's up doc?
I've been waiting all my life to say that.
- I'm afraid Dr. Airheart's right.
There's some sort of poison
working in your body.
- Well it's probably the tuna
salad from Tropical Heat.
You should never eat it after Wednesday.
- I'm afraid it's a bit
more serious than that.
- If you're trying to scare me Doc
you're doing a hell of a job.
- Do you use any foreign substances?
- Drugs?
No, come on what's going on?
- Well the few tests that I've done so far
indicate that the poison
is preventing the breakdown
of a certain chemical
called acetyl-Coline.
- Doctor, come on say it
in english and say it fast.
- If we don't find an antidote
this poison could produce
hallucinations, severe pain, and worse.
- Either your serious or you
got one warped sense of humor.
- Now I work for center of
disease control in Atlanta
for half the year.
I'm sending your blood samples there.
If anyone can identify
this foreign substance
and find an antidote for it, they can.
- So what can I do.
- I can give you something for the pain,
then I suggest you check
yourself into a hospital.
- I can't do that, I got work to do.
- Mr Slaughter, I don't think
you appreciate the gravity
of this situation.
You're dying.
- Nick, are you sure you
don't want me to drive.
- I told you I'm all right.
- Well you don't look all right.
What did the doctor say?
- He's doing tests.
- Tests, what kind of tests?
- Hopefully some I can pass.
- I just finished the
Hutton woman's autopsy
and mondo bizarro, the
way she died I mean.
- Well how did she die?
- Her heart stopped.
- Isn't that how most people die.
- There was no sign of
damage, no sign of disease.
Her cardiovascular system just shut down.
- Have you ever seen anything
like this before Rollie?
- I've seen everything before, my guess is
it's some kind of toxic working
on the central nervous system.
- How long has it been there?
- Now I'm really guessing,
maybe one day, maybe two days.
- Rollie, I want you to
take a sample of my blood
and compare it to Ivy's.
- Nick you don't think-
- Just do it.
- Nick!
- Nick, are you alright.
- Don't worry Nick, you've
been in tough spots before,
you'll beat this one too.
- Hi Rollie it's Sylvie,
yes he's still here.
At the Tropical Heat bar I mean.
- All right Rollie, let me have it.
- It's Nick, it's not good.
- Let me guess, the substance
you found in Ivy's blood
is also in mine.
- You might have a
slightly higher tolerance,
but that would only buy
you hours, not days.
Are you still there.
- Rollie, call Dr Ben Richards,
tell him what you found out
and keep us posted.
- You got it, I'm sorry Nick.
I'm really sorry.
- Yeah, I didn't need any lab tests
to tell me I had the same thing she had.
- But how, you don't just
pull poison out of the air.
- Yeah, not unless you live in LA.
- The wine, the wine she
sent me, we both drank it
and she was feeling sick.
- But who would want to
kill both of you and why?
- I don't know yet, Spider, be
my driver for a couple hours.
- Where you going?
- To check out Ivy's place.
- Nick you need to save your strength.
- My strength isn't gonna do me much good
when I'm lying in my grave.
- You know you're the
most stubborn man alive.
- Yeah, and I wanna keep it that way.
Go over the list of RES employees.
Look for any connection
to Ivy and toxicology.
- All right, if I come up
with anything I'll call you
in the Jeep.
- Alright Spider let's go.
- Hey Nick?
- Yeah.
- You know I'm gonna miss all
the times we've spent together
in the alleys you know.
- Not as much as I will pal.
- And all the walls
you made me climb over.
- Spider, will you please shut up.
- All right.
- This is just the way I wanted
to spend my last few hours,
breaking and entering.
Great.
- You know, that's a
pretty nice set of tool
you got there Nick.
- Haven't lost my touch.
- You know maybe before you
check out, you might want to
hand those off to someone
who can really use them.
Just so I'd have something
to remember you by.
- You don't shut your mouth
I'm gonna give you something
to remember me by.
- Okay.
- Hey.
Looks like she was planning
on taking a trip huh?
Hope she didn't pay for the tickets.
Didn't look like she paid for anything.
Ever hear the expression,
three is a crowd?
- What are you doing here?
- Hey I got the gun, I ask the questions.
- You seem to have made a speedy recovery.
- Don't let the green face fool you.
Now what the hell are you doing in here?
- Ivy worked for my company.
- Oh I see you've got
keys to all the houses
of your employees.
- Looks like they had a little
chemistry on the side Nick.
- She was a kind, generous person.
You see, my wife hasn't been well and-
- You wanted to keep your
reputation untarnished.
- Yes.
- She was murdered Dr Airheart,
poisoned, just like I am.
You know anything about that?
- No nothing, I'm only here because,
I mean, if Helen ever found out,
what do you want from me?
- I want you to find out
what the hell they put in us.
And I don't care if you have
to rip the whole lab apart
to do it.
- I'll do everything I can.
- See that you do, because if you don't
I may just drag you down with me.
Now get the hell out of here.
- Those...
- Get out.
- Why is it the one
drawer you want to open
is always locked?
- For the same reason the one
box you want is always locked.
- I think the cops are here.
- The computer won't
let me in on Ivy's disk,
it keeps asking for a password.
- Dug up anything on
Russo and Airheart yet?
- I talked to a woman
in the newspaper morgue
at the Miami Herald.
- Oh don't say morgue.
- They did a series of articles
on RES a few years back,
I got all the dirt.
- Well start dishing.
- Well it seems they had a
problem with the government
back when Russo was running the place.
It turned out to be a real scandal.
Something about biological
warfare experiments.
Left under a cloud.
- Where is he now?
- Well according to this
woman he's still on the key.
Damn it, entry denied, enter password.
She must have saved something
really important on this disk.
- She must have saved something.
Saved.
- What could the password be?
- McGuire.
- McGuire, why not?
Nope.
- Mary Ellen Guire,
nicest girl on the block.
- Look out!
- Yelled at her to look
out, she couldn't hear me.
- Nick I wish there was
something more I could do.
- Take me to see Jane Donner.
- There's no time to waste,
I'll call her to meet us halfway.
- Like a drink?
- No.
- I told you, I don't know
anything about an antidote.
- You told me a lot of things lady,
the problem is I believe them.
- Are you implying that I've lied to you.
- I'm not implying
anything, I'm saying it.
- What Nick means is-
- She knows what I mean.
She's in it with them.
- What?
- Nick, you're starting
to get a little crazy.
- Who was the poison expert at RES?
- I really don't know.
I remember that Dr Russo did
a lot of work in that area
and so did Dr Airheart
before he went to go work
on the management side.
- I want to you to get me the
company files on both of them.
- It will mean getting special access.
- Just do it.
- My little Nicky.
- I Nick Slaughter, being of sound mind,
declare this to be my
last will and testament.
- Let's see, I tried her street
address, her parents names,
her middle name, maybe her
social security number.
Hey Nick, Nick?
Nick, Nick, speak to me.
- Where am I?
- Oh you're still alive.
- Funny I don't feel like I'm still alive.
- Come on, lets get up and walk around.
- You know what I'm gonna
miss when I'm gone Sylvie?
- Nick please don't.
- Girls on the boardwalk.
Sunday morning crossword puzzles.
I'm gonna miss kids, I'm gonna
miss the kids I never had.
- You know it's funny, we
work together all day long
and we never really talk.
- Well there just didn't
seem to be any time
and now here we are and
there really isn't any time.
- Nick.
- Oh don't worry.
I'm not gonna get modeling on ya,
what the hell we all die right?
- Stop it.
- Still I guess it evens out.
- I've had a lot of lucky breaks after all
I met you didn't I?
- Damn it Nick, we are not
giving up, you hear me?
- I hear you.
- So did you get through the RES file yet?
- Mostly biographical stuff,
the history of Airheart's
career, that sort of thing.
Nothing about poison, what do you think?
Do you think Russo's our killer?
- Remember me Nicky?
- Tate?
- Work is out, you are dying.
I couldn't let it happen
though couldn't I?
- What do you want?
- I want the pleasure of
taking you out myself.
- Tate, I killed you.
- Now that you are going to die Nick,
you are going to have to
deal with everyone of us.
- Nick, Nick?
- Sorry, just distracted.
- Our best bet is still
that damn password.
Her name was Ivy, what
does Ivy mean to you?
Ivy league, climbing vines, intravenous,
you know like IV, what else?
- Must have been the poison.
- Poison, poison ivy ha!
I'm itching already.
Nick you're a genius.
- I know, care to be more specific?
- Poison, we're in.
Look at this, pages and
pages of Donner's research.
- Russo's name is everywhere.
- She must have been using
his work as a foundation
for her research.
- According to this file,
Russo was an expert in toxic warfare.
In fact, it was his research
that got him kicked out of
RES in the first place.
- There's a notice at
the end of this file.
- Read it.
- It says to send to GA.
- GA?
Now whoever this GA is,
they probably hired I've
to steal Donner's research.
- Russo's address is here,
maybe we should pay him a visit.
You up to it?
- You bet.
- Dr Russo?
- Yep.
- We'd like to have a word with you.
- What's all this about?
- Life and death, mine.
- Who are you?
- Name's Nick Slaughter, I'm
a friend of Jane Donner's.
Ring any bells?
- Her?
- I take it you two aren't exactly close.
- How can you be close with someone
who stole your life's work?
- Are you talking about her
blood clot breakthrough?
- Her breakthrough, her breakthrough?
I was the one who laid all the
foundation for her research.
My enzyme discovery was the
key to that entire process.
Hey I got it, she sent
you to make a deal right?
- This is not about deals Dr Russo.
- Fine fine, because
I've been waiting months
to get that in court.
I've got all my documentation there.
- You don't understand,
all we want from you here is your help.
- Help from what?
- I've been poisoned, I've had
high fever, hallucinations,
muscle tremors, overall weakness.
- And why should I know
anything about that?
- Because I got it hanging
around from your old crowd
from RES.
- You were the resident
toxicology expert there,
you know what's going on!
Dr Russo, a lab assistant
from RES has already died
from the same poison.
- Blurred vision?
A burning sensation that
moves from limb to limb?
- You forgot the shoe leather
that used to by my tongue,
now what is it?
- DX-128.
- What is that?
- It's a toxic agent that I
developed in the army years ago.
You seem to have the same symptoms.
Told them I would not be responsible.
- Look, the hell to who's
responsible, is there an antidote?
- Of course there's an
antidote, only a madman
would make a poison without an antidote.
- Do you have it here?
- I don't have the antidote itself,
but I do have the formula, come on.
- It's right here, this is your lucky day.
- Maybe I should go to the track.
- Oh that can't be.
- What?
- The formula and antidote, the
whole page has been removed.
- Not my lucky day,
are you sure that's the right book doctor?
- Of course I'm sure.
- Who else has access to your workshop?
- Nobody, I keep this
place locked at all times.
Except...
- Except what?
- We had a break-in two months ago.
I came home found the
lock had been sawn off.
Looked around, I couldn't
find anything missing.
- Well now you know.
- Do you know anyone with the initials GA?
- None that I can think of, why?
- The formula for the poison
itself, do you have it?
- It's right here.
- Good, thank you, I'll
take that if you don't mind,
and even if you do.
- How did you get this formula?
- It wasn't easy.
- I thought it might help
so I made some copies.
- I'll fax this up to Atlanta right away,
should be just the thing they
need to find the antidote.
- Yeah but how soon?
- Hopefully hours, it's hard to say.
But with this we have a fighting chance.
- GA.
It's my ninth grade biology
class, she was my lab partner.
She had this long red hair,
and she used to write me
love letters with a
lipstick mark in the bottom.
Get away from me you bullies.
Leave me alone.
- What was her name?
We got to get to the
office I know I can find
one of the love letters somewhere.
- He's acting so strange
Spider, I don't know what to do
with him, it's like his
mind's back in high school.
It's like he's
a whole different person.
He's gonna be all right Spider,
tell me he's gonna be all right isn't he?
- Sure, he'll be all right won't he?
- Hey you guys want to cut
the chatter and get to work
on that damn GA?
- What's he talking about,
what's this GA thing?
- We found the initials GA on Ivy's disk.
He thinks it's the key to the case.
- You know I used to see GA all the time
when I lived in Georgia.
- Georgia, Georgia that was her name.
- Who's name?
- The girl from the biology class,
she used to sign her name GA.
- Georgia.
- Atlanta, Georgia.
- The Center for Disease Control.
- Exactly.
- We should call the cops.
- No!
- We have to.
- We have no proof.
- Let them get the proof,
that's why they're there.
- No!
- Nick what are you doing?
- No cops.
- Why?
- Because, I'm gonna kill somebody.
- Well, can you do it?
- I can brew this up sure, it's
relatively simple chemistry
but I wouldn't know where
to begin on an antidote.
- Just get me the poison, Rolley,
as concentrated as you can.
No how long is that gonna take?
- To make a batch from
scratch, maybe two hours.
- Make it an hour alright,
call me in my car phone.
- 30 years old an no one to call.
Got it!
- Rollie you're a prince.
- I know I know.
Nick, Nick!
- Come in.
- I came as soon as I could.
- Thanks doctor, make
yourself comfortable.
I just got tired of waiting and waiting,
just need someone to talk to.
- Yeah, well I would
have been sure Atlanta
would have gotten back to you by now.
- Yeah, well will you have
a drink with me doctor?
- Sure.
- Great, well this is good champagne,
I was saving it for a special occasion.
But, I guess it doesn't get
any more special than this.
- Better days.
- Yeah you're just cruising
around with the top down
without a care in the
world and then suddenly
you're counting the minutes 'til you die.
- Nick, you mustn't give up.
- Not of course not.
Of course not, to courage.
Got to hand it to Rollie.
- Rollie?
- Rollie, the coroner.
Yeah he made a whole batch of the toxin up
just using materials in his own lab.
- What was the point of that?
- Point, I don't know.
I guess I thought it'd
bring us closer together.
- I'm sorry I don't get it.
- Of course the concentration
was a lot higher
than the dosage that I took.
- The concentration.
- Of course you would be the
expert in that area doctor.
I just thought that if
we both had the poison
it'd give us a little added incentive
to figure out the antidote.
- You're lying.
- Now as I used to say when I was a child,
if I'm lying, I'm dying.
So I guess we both wait
for Atlanta together,
unless you got some better ideas.
- You're bluffing, there's
nothing in that drink.
- I guess we'll both
know in a couple hours
cause I gave you at
least 10 times the doses
that you made Ivy give me.
- You bastard.
- You killed Ivy, and
then you tried to kill me.
I trusted you you son of a bitch.
You were gonna make millions of dollars
off of that wonder drug,
weren't you doctor?
You don't give a damn who died.
- You're thinking pretty clearly for a man
in your condition.
- Not just my condition, our condition.
Now where the hell's the antidote?
- I don't have an antidote.
- Well you better get busy
doctor, and make some up.
- You can try and kill me
if you like, but you need me
to save your life.
- Just like you've been
pretending to do all along?
Almost done.
- Hey what's up doc.
- Slaughter, you were unconscious.
- I'm so glad you approve of my acting.
- To life.
Gently Sylvie.
- I know what I'm doing.
- How is it?
- It will live.
- How about you, how are you feeling?
- I feel like I got a good
old fashioned hangover.
- You know the doctor says you need to get
plenty of rest.
- I don't think I'm gonna be listening
to doctors for a while.
- Hi Nick.
- Hi Spider.
- Brought you some nourishment.
- I don't feel quite up to it
yet Spider, but thanks anyway.
That wouldn't happen to be the
one you made for that girl,
what was her name?
- Well we never did get
around to eating it,
but I kept it on ice for you.
Sylvie?
- No thanks I'll pass.
Listen I'm going back to
the office, you relax.
- All right.
- See you later.
- Bye.
- I also brought back some
other things for you here.
- What are you doing
with my locksmith tools?
- Well I know you wanted me to have them,
I'm always locking myself out of the car.
- Spider you could have
waited 'til the body was cold.
- I got here, your bound playboys,
your aphrodisiac cookbook,
pink slip for the Jeep.
- You son of a-
- I'm bringing it back aren't I?
- I don't believe you.
- Think I could keep this shirt?
---
- Well hi there.
- Remember me?
- You're the guy from Tropical Heat.
- I am the Tropical Heat.
You get my flowers?
- And your card, there
should be a law against
writing things like that.
- There is.
- What brings you out this way?
- I'm delivering a dinner.
- I didn't order anything.
- Oh I wasn't going to let that stop me.
Your favorite, chef's salad.
Of course I have no idea
what the chef's gonna eat.
Let's see what goes with that?
You got barbecue spare ribs marinara,
little melon in prosciutto
with Parmesan curls.
A toasted shrimp and swordfish sandwich,
and a toasted almond mocha tart.
- Looks like there's
enough for a small army.
- You got your mayo,
mustard, relish, tartar sauce
and what?
I asked the chef for condiments.
- Care to join me?
- That depends on what
we're gonna be doing.
- Drinking wine for starters.
- To your health.
- Oh my god it's hot, must be the wine.
- Could be the company.
- May I ask you a personal question?
- Pajamas, but only
on top, how about you?
- Let's leave that as a surprise.
For now, you can tell me why
you've been following me.
- Following you?
- You were at the market
yesterday when I was shopping.
I saw you last night in the parking lot
when I was coming out from dinner.
And now I see you here.
Well, Key Maria is such a tiny place.
- Not that tiny.
- Okay you got me, I'm smitten.
- I'm Ivy.
- Finally, perfect time
to make my introduction.
- Unfortunately for both of us
I don't think this is the time.
- You alright?
- Just a little too much wine I'm afraid.
- Tell you what, why don't
you let me drive you home?
- Thank you but I'll catch a cab.
- No it's okay my Jeep's right out front.
- I said I'll catch a cab.
I don't need a detective
to take care of me.
- Detective?
- You're not fooling
me, I know who you are.
- Well if you know who I am
then you know how important
it is that you talk to me.
- Look I'll talk to you, but not now.
You know my address, meet
me there tomorrow at 10.
It's done, I put it in his
wine, now give me the antidote.
Please, you bastard!
We had a deal.
You can't do this to me!
It's been three days
and I haven't heard a word from you.
- Well we don't normally call
unless we have something to say.
- But you promised me results.
- Mr Slaughter's been out
there working feverishly
day and night to-
- Ooh!
Watch that step it's a doozy, hi.
- Nick, we were just talking about you.
Ms Donner is here for an
update on the Hutton case.
- Hutton?
Hutton.
- Her assistant at RES
Pharmaceutical Labs, Nick?
The one she thinks stole her research.
The woman you've been
following for three days.
That Ivy Hutton.
Sorry it's been one of those mornings.
Actually I finally made
contact with the subject
last night at a cafe
called the Pink Heron.
Or was that the Pink Herring?
- Ms Donner, will you excuse
us for just one moment.
- No I got it, it was the Pink Herring.
- Can I talk to you outside.
- Mm Hmm, good bye.
- Look at you, you're wrecked.
- What?
- I don't care what kind
of debouch you get to
on your own time, but when
it comes to our business.
- I had one beer, and one sip of wine.
- A sip?
What did you do put a straw in the bottle?
- Look I'm an expert on hangovers
this is not one of them.
Jeez it's hot in here.
- Look at you you're soaking wet.
- It's a bug, I'll get rid of it.
Now go make nice to our
client, take her to lunch
at the Tropical Heat.
- Where are you going?
- I've got to go say hi to Ivy Hutton.
Say goodbye to Ms Blitzen.
- Donner, Nick.
- Right.
- Donner!
- God it.
- We're doing the best we can.
- Well it's just not good enough.
- Excuse me, you haven't
touched your food.
Is there anything wrong?
- I guess I'm just not very hungry.
- Nicole, would you bring
me a doggy bag please?
- Sure boss, coming right up.
- That isn't necessary.
- Yes it is, I can serve this food again.
- Ms Donner.
Are you sure you don't want to eat.
- I don't want food I want answers.
- Cases like this take time.
- I don't have time, for all
I know my work could have been
sold to the highest bidder.
- If this drug of yours can
dissolve cerebral blood clots
while in surgery it
could be worth millions.
- It will save millions of lives.
- If anybody can find if Ivy
stole your records, Nick can.
- When, after she's sold all my secrets?
I've been working on that drug for years.
I was almost at the point
submitting it for field trials.
- I know it's horrible to
exploit a discovery like that.
- Oh there's always someone
willing to make money
out of other people's lives, and deaths.
- No evidence of a struggle sir.
- I've examined the deceased, thank you.
- No bullet holes, no stab wounds.
- I did manage to notice that.
- It's a murder mystery sir.
- The only mystery so far is
why I haven't murdered you yet.
Go away.
And try not to step on any clues.
- You know I've been dying
to ask you this Lieutenant,
where did you find Deke?
- I didn't, his uncle
the right honorable mayor
found him for me.
- Ah.
- Who was she anyway?
- Her name was Ivy Hutton.
She worked at RES Labs, I
was tailing her for a client.
- Who's the client?
- Jane Donner, her boss.
She does research up at RES,
something about stolen records.
- You're being unusually
cooperative today,
you feeling okay?
- Funny you should ask.
- When's the last time you
saw this Hutton woman alive?
- About 10:30 last night.
We were at the Ping Heron,
she bought me a glass of wine,
told me that she knew
I was following here.
- Must be losing your touch Nick.
Did you see her speaking to anyone else?
Nick?
You alright Nick?
Nick?
- What?
- What's a matter with you?
- Rough night I guess.
Can we continue this in
your air conditioned office?
- What is this a tea party?
For all we know this woman
could have been murdered.
- Yeah, listed I'll come
by the station, I promise.
- Soon as you find your
sea legs, and I mean it.
You sure you're okay?
- Mm hmm.
- So much for a nice clean
case of industrial espionage.
- They've taken the body to a morgue.
Rollie's gonna do an autopsy.
I'm on my way to break the news to Donner.
- Are you feeling any better?
- Hell of a lot better than Ivy, I think.
- When I first suspected
Ivy of stealing my papers,
I actually wished her dead.
Now that it's happened, why?
Who would have done it?
- That's what I hope to find out,
who else knew about your research?
- Hold on you're not suggesting
the theft of my research's
got something to do with her death?
- It's a good place to start.
- Well, myself and Ivy and Dr Russo.
- Who's he?
- Well he used to work here at RES,
he approved my project right
before he left the lab.
Are you okay?
- You wouldn't have a stomach
pump on you would you?
- Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting.
- Hi Dr Airheart, this is Nick Slaughter,
he's been having stomach pains.
- Well perhaps I should take a look.
Uh oh, hmm.
There's some definite inflammation here.
I wouldn't take any chances,
do you have a doctor here?
- Yeah but he's out in
California for a month.
- Dr Airheart's chief of staff.
- Pleasure.
- Mr Slaughter's just
given me some bad news.
Ivy has been found dead.
- Oh my god, where how?
- The details are vague,
they're doing an autopsy.
- Look, go and see this man.
His name is Dr Benjamin
Richards, he used to work here.
- Yeah, no one on the island
knows more about toxicology.
- Toxicology, you mean like poison?
- Yeah.
- The first job of a doctor
is to rule out possibilities.
- Yeah, well I hope the
second is to cure me.
Have a nice day.
Hey what's up doc?
I've been waiting all my life to say that.
- I'm afraid Dr. Airheart's right.
There's some sort of poison
working in your body.
- Well it's probably the tuna
salad from Tropical Heat.
You should never eat it after Wednesday.
- I'm afraid it's a bit
more serious than that.
- If you're trying to scare me Doc
you're doing a hell of a job.
- Do you use any foreign substances?
- Drugs?
No, come on what's going on?
- Well the few tests that I've done so far
indicate that the poison
is preventing the breakdown
of a certain chemical
called acetyl-Coline.
- Doctor, come on say it
in english and say it fast.
- If we don't find an antidote
this poison could produce
hallucinations, severe pain, and worse.
- Either your serious or you
got one warped sense of humor.
- Now I work for center of
disease control in Atlanta
for half the year.
I'm sending your blood samples there.
If anyone can identify
this foreign substance
and find an antidote for it, they can.
- So what can I do.
- I can give you something for the pain,
then I suggest you check
yourself into a hospital.
- I can't do that, I got work to do.
- Mr Slaughter, I don't think
you appreciate the gravity
of this situation.
You're dying.
- Nick, are you sure you
don't want me to drive.
- I told you I'm all right.
- Well you don't look all right.
What did the doctor say?
- He's doing tests.
- Tests, what kind of tests?
- Hopefully some I can pass.
- I just finished the
Hutton woman's autopsy
and mondo bizarro, the
way she died I mean.
- Well how did she die?
- Her heart stopped.
- Isn't that how most people die.
- There was no sign of
damage, no sign of disease.
Her cardiovascular system just shut down.
- Have you ever seen anything
like this before Rollie?
- I've seen everything before, my guess is
it's some kind of toxic working
on the central nervous system.
- How long has it been there?
- Now I'm really guessing,
maybe one day, maybe two days.
- Rollie, I want you to
take a sample of my blood
and compare it to Ivy's.
- Nick you don't think-
- Just do it.
- Nick!
- Nick, are you alright.
- Don't worry Nick, you've
been in tough spots before,
you'll beat this one too.
- Hi Rollie it's Sylvie,
yes he's still here.
At the Tropical Heat bar I mean.
- All right Rollie, let me have it.
- It's Nick, it's not good.
- Let me guess, the substance
you found in Ivy's blood
is also in mine.
- You might have a
slightly higher tolerance,
but that would only buy
you hours, not days.
Are you still there.
- Rollie, call Dr Ben Richards,
tell him what you found out
and keep us posted.
- You got it, I'm sorry Nick.
I'm really sorry.
- Yeah, I didn't need any lab tests
to tell me I had the same thing she had.
- But how, you don't just
pull poison out of the air.
- Yeah, not unless you live in LA.
- The wine, the wine she
sent me, we both drank it
and she was feeling sick.
- But who would want to
kill both of you and why?
- I don't know yet, Spider, be
my driver for a couple hours.
- Where you going?
- To check out Ivy's place.
- Nick you need to save your strength.
- My strength isn't gonna do me much good
when I'm lying in my grave.
- You know you're the
most stubborn man alive.
- Yeah, and I wanna keep it that way.
Go over the list of RES employees.
Look for any connection
to Ivy and toxicology.
- All right, if I come up
with anything I'll call you
in the Jeep.
- Alright Spider let's go.
- Hey Nick?
- Yeah.
- You know I'm gonna miss all
the times we've spent together
in the alleys you know.
- Not as much as I will pal.
- And all the walls
you made me climb over.
- Spider, will you please shut up.
- All right.
- This is just the way I wanted
to spend my last few hours,
breaking and entering.
Great.
- You know, that's a
pretty nice set of tool
you got there Nick.
- Haven't lost my touch.
- You know maybe before you
check out, you might want to
hand those off to someone
who can really use them.
Just so I'd have something
to remember you by.
- You don't shut your mouth
I'm gonna give you something
to remember me by.
- Okay.
- Hey.
Looks like she was planning
on taking a trip huh?
Hope she didn't pay for the tickets.
Didn't look like she paid for anything.
Ever hear the expression,
three is a crowd?
- What are you doing here?
- Hey I got the gun, I ask the questions.
- You seem to have made a speedy recovery.
- Don't let the green face fool you.
Now what the hell are you doing in here?
- Ivy worked for my company.
- Oh I see you've got
keys to all the houses
of your employees.
- Looks like they had a little
chemistry on the side Nick.
- She was a kind, generous person.
You see, my wife hasn't been well and-
- You wanted to keep your
reputation untarnished.
- Yes.
- She was murdered Dr Airheart,
poisoned, just like I am.
You know anything about that?
- No nothing, I'm only here because,
I mean, if Helen ever found out,
what do you want from me?
- I want you to find out
what the hell they put in us.
And I don't care if you have
to rip the whole lab apart
to do it.
- I'll do everything I can.
- See that you do, because if you don't
I may just drag you down with me.
Now get the hell out of here.
- Those...
- Get out.
- Why is it the one
drawer you want to open
is always locked?
- For the same reason the one
box you want is always locked.
- I think the cops are here.
- The computer won't
let me in on Ivy's disk,
it keeps asking for a password.
- Dug up anything on
Russo and Airheart yet?
- I talked to a woman
in the newspaper morgue
at the Miami Herald.
- Oh don't say morgue.
- They did a series of articles
on RES a few years back,
I got all the dirt.
- Well start dishing.
- Well it seems they had a
problem with the government
back when Russo was running the place.
It turned out to be a real scandal.
Something about biological
warfare experiments.
Left under a cloud.
- Where is he now?
- Well according to this
woman he's still on the key.
Damn it, entry denied, enter password.
She must have saved something
really important on this disk.
- She must have saved something.
Saved.
- What could the password be?
- McGuire.
- McGuire, why not?
Nope.
- Mary Ellen Guire,
nicest girl on the block.
- Look out!
- Yelled at her to look
out, she couldn't hear me.
- Nick I wish there was
something more I could do.
- Take me to see Jane Donner.
- There's no time to waste,
I'll call her to meet us halfway.
- Like a drink?
- No.
- I told you, I don't know
anything about an antidote.
- You told me a lot of things lady,
the problem is I believe them.
- Are you implying that I've lied to you.
- I'm not implying
anything, I'm saying it.
- What Nick means is-
- She knows what I mean.
She's in it with them.
- What?
- Nick, you're starting
to get a little crazy.
- Who was the poison expert at RES?
- I really don't know.
I remember that Dr Russo did
a lot of work in that area
and so did Dr Airheart
before he went to go work
on the management side.
- I want to you to get me the
company files on both of them.
- It will mean getting special access.
- Just do it.
- My little Nicky.
- I Nick Slaughter, being of sound mind,
declare this to be my
last will and testament.
- Let's see, I tried her street
address, her parents names,
her middle name, maybe her
social security number.
Hey Nick, Nick?
Nick, Nick, speak to me.
- Where am I?
- Oh you're still alive.
- Funny I don't feel like I'm still alive.
- Come on, lets get up and walk around.
- You know what I'm gonna
miss when I'm gone Sylvie?
- Nick please don't.
- Girls on the boardwalk.
Sunday morning crossword puzzles.
I'm gonna miss kids, I'm gonna
miss the kids I never had.
- You know it's funny, we
work together all day long
and we never really talk.
- Well there just didn't
seem to be any time
and now here we are and
there really isn't any time.
- Nick.
- Oh don't worry.
I'm not gonna get modeling on ya,
what the hell we all die right?
- Stop it.
- Still I guess it evens out.
- I've had a lot of lucky breaks after all
I met you didn't I?
- Damn it Nick, we are not
giving up, you hear me?
- I hear you.
- So did you get through the RES file yet?
- Mostly biographical stuff,
the history of Airheart's
career, that sort of thing.
Nothing about poison, what do you think?
Do you think Russo's our killer?
- Remember me Nicky?
- Tate?
- Work is out, you are dying.
I couldn't let it happen
though couldn't I?
- What do you want?
- I want the pleasure of
taking you out myself.
- Tate, I killed you.
- Now that you are going to die Nick,
you are going to have to
deal with everyone of us.
- Nick, Nick?
- Sorry, just distracted.
- Our best bet is still
that damn password.
Her name was Ivy, what
does Ivy mean to you?
Ivy league, climbing vines, intravenous,
you know like IV, what else?
- Must have been the poison.
- Poison, poison ivy ha!
I'm itching already.
Nick you're a genius.
- I know, care to be more specific?
- Poison, we're in.
Look at this, pages and
pages of Donner's research.
- Russo's name is everywhere.
- She must have been using
his work as a foundation
for her research.
- According to this file,
Russo was an expert in toxic warfare.
In fact, it was his research
that got him kicked out of
RES in the first place.
- There's a notice at
the end of this file.
- Read it.
- It says to send to GA.
- GA?
Now whoever this GA is,
they probably hired I've
to steal Donner's research.
- Russo's address is here,
maybe we should pay him a visit.
You up to it?
- You bet.
- Dr Russo?
- Yep.
- We'd like to have a word with you.
- What's all this about?
- Life and death, mine.
- Who are you?
- Name's Nick Slaughter, I'm
a friend of Jane Donner's.
Ring any bells?
- Her?
- I take it you two aren't exactly close.
- How can you be close with someone
who stole your life's work?
- Are you talking about her
blood clot breakthrough?
- Her breakthrough, her breakthrough?
I was the one who laid all the
foundation for her research.
My enzyme discovery was the
key to that entire process.
Hey I got it, she sent
you to make a deal right?
- This is not about deals Dr Russo.
- Fine fine, because
I've been waiting months
to get that in court.
I've got all my documentation there.
- You don't understand,
all we want from you here is your help.
- Help from what?
- I've been poisoned, I've had
high fever, hallucinations,
muscle tremors, overall weakness.
- And why should I know
anything about that?
- Because I got it hanging
around from your old crowd
from RES.
- You were the resident
toxicology expert there,
you know what's going on!
Dr Russo, a lab assistant
from RES has already died
from the same poison.
- Blurred vision?
A burning sensation that
moves from limb to limb?
- You forgot the shoe leather
that used to by my tongue,
now what is it?
- DX-128.
- What is that?
- It's a toxic agent that I
developed in the army years ago.
You seem to have the same symptoms.
Told them I would not be responsible.
- Look, the hell to who's
responsible, is there an antidote?
- Of course there's an
antidote, only a madman
would make a poison without an antidote.
- Do you have it here?
- I don't have the antidote itself,
but I do have the formula, come on.
- It's right here, this is your lucky day.
- Maybe I should go to the track.
- Oh that can't be.
- What?
- The formula and antidote, the
whole page has been removed.
- Not my lucky day,
are you sure that's the right book doctor?
- Of course I'm sure.
- Who else has access to your workshop?
- Nobody, I keep this
place locked at all times.
Except...
- Except what?
- We had a break-in two months ago.
I came home found the
lock had been sawn off.
Looked around, I couldn't
find anything missing.
- Well now you know.
- Do you know anyone with the initials GA?
- None that I can think of, why?
- The formula for the poison
itself, do you have it?
- It's right here.
- Good, thank you, I'll
take that if you don't mind,
and even if you do.
- How did you get this formula?
- It wasn't easy.
- I thought it might help
so I made some copies.
- I'll fax this up to Atlanta right away,
should be just the thing they
need to find the antidote.
- Yeah but how soon?
- Hopefully hours, it's hard to say.
But with this we have a fighting chance.
- GA.
It's my ninth grade biology
class, she was my lab partner.
She had this long red hair,
and she used to write me
love letters with a
lipstick mark in the bottom.
Get away from me you bullies.
Leave me alone.
- What was her name?
We got to get to the
office I know I can find
one of the love letters somewhere.
- He's acting so strange
Spider, I don't know what to do
with him, it's like his
mind's back in high school.
It's like he's
a whole different person.
He's gonna be all right Spider,
tell me he's gonna be all right isn't he?
- Sure, he'll be all right won't he?
- Hey you guys want to cut
the chatter and get to work
on that damn GA?
- What's he talking about,
what's this GA thing?
- We found the initials GA on Ivy's disk.
He thinks it's the key to the case.
- You know I used to see GA all the time
when I lived in Georgia.
- Georgia, Georgia that was her name.
- Who's name?
- The girl from the biology class,
she used to sign her name GA.
- Georgia.
- Atlanta, Georgia.
- The Center for Disease Control.
- Exactly.
- We should call the cops.
- No!
- We have to.
- We have no proof.
- Let them get the proof,
that's why they're there.
- No!
- Nick what are you doing?
- No cops.
- Why?
- Because, I'm gonna kill somebody.
- Well, can you do it?
- I can brew this up sure, it's
relatively simple chemistry
but I wouldn't know where
to begin on an antidote.
- Just get me the poison, Rolley,
as concentrated as you can.
No how long is that gonna take?
- To make a batch from
scratch, maybe two hours.
- Make it an hour alright,
call me in my car phone.
- 30 years old an no one to call.
Got it!
- Rollie you're a prince.
- I know I know.
Nick, Nick!
- Come in.
- I came as soon as I could.
- Thanks doctor, make
yourself comfortable.
I just got tired of waiting and waiting,
just need someone to talk to.
- Yeah, well I would
have been sure Atlanta
would have gotten back to you by now.
- Yeah, well will you have
a drink with me doctor?
- Sure.
- Great, well this is good champagne,
I was saving it for a special occasion.
But, I guess it doesn't get
any more special than this.
- Better days.
- Yeah you're just cruising
around with the top down
without a care in the
world and then suddenly
you're counting the minutes 'til you die.
- Nick, you mustn't give up.
- Not of course not.
Of course not, to courage.
Got to hand it to Rollie.
- Rollie?
- Rollie, the coroner.
Yeah he made a whole batch of the toxin up
just using materials in his own lab.
- What was the point of that?
- Point, I don't know.
I guess I thought it'd
bring us closer together.
- I'm sorry I don't get it.
- Of course the concentration
was a lot higher
than the dosage that I took.
- The concentration.
- Of course you would be the
expert in that area doctor.
I just thought that if
we both had the poison
it'd give us a little added incentive
to figure out the antidote.
- You're lying.
- Now as I used to say when I was a child,
if I'm lying, I'm dying.
So I guess we both wait
for Atlanta together,
unless you got some better ideas.
- You're bluffing, there's
nothing in that drink.
- I guess we'll both
know in a couple hours
cause I gave you at
least 10 times the doses
that you made Ivy give me.
- You bastard.
- You killed Ivy, and
then you tried to kill me.
I trusted you you son of a bitch.
You were gonna make millions of dollars
off of that wonder drug,
weren't you doctor?
You don't give a damn who died.
- You're thinking pretty clearly for a man
in your condition.
- Not just my condition, our condition.
Now where the hell's the antidote?
- I don't have an antidote.
- Well you better get busy
doctor, and make some up.
- You can try and kill me
if you like, but you need me
to save your life.
- Just like you've been
pretending to do all along?
Almost done.
- Hey what's up doc.
- Slaughter, you were unconscious.
- I'm so glad you approve of my acting.
- To life.
Gently Sylvie.
- I know what I'm doing.
- How is it?
- It will live.
- How about you, how are you feeling?
- I feel like I got a good
old fashioned hangover.
- You know the doctor says you need to get
plenty of rest.
- I don't think I'm gonna be listening
to doctors for a while.
- Hi Nick.
- Hi Spider.
- Brought you some nourishment.
- I don't feel quite up to it
yet Spider, but thanks anyway.
That wouldn't happen to be the
one you made for that girl,
what was her name?
- Well we never did get
around to eating it,
but I kept it on ice for you.
Sylvie?
- No thanks I'll pass.
Listen I'm going back to
the office, you relax.
- All right.
- See you later.
- Bye.
- I also brought back some
other things for you here.
- What are you doing
with my locksmith tools?
- Well I know you wanted me to have them,
I'm always locking myself out of the car.
- Spider you could have
waited 'til the body was cold.
- I got here, your bound playboys,
your aphrodisiac cookbook,
pink slip for the Jeep.
- You son of a-
- I'm bringing it back aren't I?
- I don't believe you.
- Think I could keep this shirt?