Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990): Season 1, Episode 11 - An Impossible Silence - full transcript

This is where the wealthy
and the powerful rule.

It is her world,

a world apart from mine.

Her name... is Catherine.

From the moment I saw her,
she captured my heart

with her beauty,

her warmth and her courage.

I knew then, as I know now,

she would change my life...

forever.

He comes from a secret place,
far below the city streets,



hiding his face from strangers,

safe from hate and harm.

He brought me there
to save my life.

And now, wherever I go,
he is with me in spirit.

For we have a bond stronger
than friendship or love.

And although
we cannot be together,

we will never, ever be apart.

Listen, Danny,

I appreciate you going
to bat for me like that.

I guess I owe
you one, huh?

Forget about it.

Keller's on edge
like the rest of us.

Yeah, well, he really
lost it when I told him.

Look, all we gotta
do is return



this stuff to Property.

They don't keep
track of it.

They'll never know
it was missing.

We wipe the
slate clean.

I mean, who needs that
kind of pressure, huh?

Hey, I told you
don't worry about it.

I'll smooth
things out with Laine

and then we'll
talk about it.

It's getting cold out, huh?
Yeah.

Hey, you okay to drive?

Oh, yeah, yeah.
I've driven worse than this.

Listen to me.
Some cop, huh?

Well, listen,
where are you parked?

A couple blocks down
on South Street.

Well, come on,
I'll give you a lift.

No, no, I'm gonna walk.

Are you sure?
Yeah.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I'll see you later.

Hey, Danny?
What?

Everything's gonna
be all right, huh?

Don't worry, Tony.

Everything's okay.

You okay?

What the hell are
you doing in this
part of town, anyway?

Are you...? Hey!

See? I worked out

an abbreviation
for the express stuff.

You wouldn't believe
how much we can

cut down on congestion.

Oh, I believe it.
But don't you ever

get tired, Pascal?

Only when I stop.

You look fine, Joe.

Oh, I hate these guys.

They travel in packs,

like sharks.
It's a room full
of reporters.

Easy for you to say.
Relax, you're not
running for office.

Or are you?

Well, let's just say
that putting a cop killer

away right now, wouldn't
hurt my career any.

Wish me luck.

All right, I'm going to read
a statement

and then, after that,

I'm not at liberty
to answer any questions.

Oh, come on,
just a couple.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

"Last night, Curtis Jackson

"was arrested and charged
with the murder

"of Vice Squad Detective
Tony Perotta.

"Ballistics has confirmed
that the hand gun

"that was found in his car
was the murder weapon.

"The District Attorney has set

"a preliminary hearing date,
and we have

"every reason to believe

"that justice will be served
in a fair,

but expeditious fashion."

That's all, folks.

Oh, come on, just a question.

Can you at least give us
an idea about the hearing date?

Are you gonna handle
the case yourself?

I'm sorry, I can't...
I can't...

I can't answer
any more questions.

What has the reaction been
to this killing in the precinct?

- One or two more questions.
- I can't.

Well...?

How'd I do?
Watch out, City Hall.

He was my partner eight years,
you son-of-a...

Hey.

How the hell
could you do it, Danny?

You ought to thank me

for doing your dirty work.

Come on! Come on!

Back off! Both of you!

Now, I'm sorry,
Laine, but Danny

only did what he had to.

Now, you know how Tony was,

especially the last
couple of weeks.

He would've
blown it for us.

All of us.

Anyway... it's over with.

Now, if you're gonna
blame Danny,

you might as well
blame me, too.

What about Jackson?

Oh... we got him cold.

Murder weapon, motive.

All we have to do is sit tight

and let the system do its thing.

He was a punk.

Whatever he gets, he deserves.

Look, Laine...

I want you to know,

I only did what
was necessary.

Tony was a good man.

What we are
talking about...

is $100,000 here.

This month and
every month,

from now on.

Thanks, hon.

Thank you.

Drink?

I'm so sorry about Tony.

Yeah, Maggie...
me, too.

I'm listening.

The wrong man?

You saw the killer?

The killer was a white man?

It's good that
you came to me.

Don't be afraid.

You're not alone.

I promise.

When Laura first came to us,

she was only a child--

alone, frightened.

Her parents had abandoned
her in the park.

I suppose... they wanted
a normal daughter.

But there was a friend.

A helper...

who brought her to us,

where it was safe...

where she could know love.

I remember...

in the beginning,
she used to collect things,

keep them on her
bedside table--

alarm clocks,
bells, buzzers...

...and she would hold them
close to her ear,

feeling the vibrations,

trying to hear
the stolen sounds.

It broke my heart.

And you became
her teacher?

I became her friend.

Can she speak?

At all?
She speaks...

with her hands--

a beautiful language.

And she told you that
she saw this murder?

How can she be sure
it wasn't the same man?

The man she saw
was not a black man.

Vincent,

the evidence they have
against him is overwhelming.

Is she positive?

She's not mistaken.

She knows what this might mean.

Coming forward to
tell her story.

Yes.

I'll do everything I can
to make that unnecessary.

But, Vincent, I don't think
there's any other way.

I understand the problem
enough to know

it isn't ours.

Does our world exempt its people
from moral responsibility?

No, it offers them sanctuary
from an impossible madness.

Especially those who most
need to be protected.

Like the girl.

Laura is
no longer a girl.

She's still vulnerable.

Exposing her to
something like that...

Vincent, here, we've
given her a chance to heal.

And to hide.

I know Laura's pain.

When she first came here,
her soul was broken,

and our love helped it to mend.

But the time will come

when she will need to
grow beyond all of this,

beyond us.

You think that time is now?

Without Laura's word,
Catherine has no case.

An innocent man
goes to prison.

That should mean
something to you.

Our priority is still to Laura.

Before, you said
the problem was not ours.

Well... neither is the decision.

Now, that's a
new one on me.

Since when does the
DA's Office go around

trying to get
people off, hmm?

I know.

That's some kind of
new psychology, right?

How long were you
out of prison?

Almost a year.

Your parole officer
tells me

you were meeting regularly.

Every week, ma'am.

And I also help little old
ladies cross the street,

and I go to church
every Sunday

and repent my sins.

Let's get this straight.

A man who sells drugs to kids

doesn't deserve to see
the light of day, ever.

They tell me
you're rehabilitated.

Congratulations.

But if it were up to me,
I'd have buried you.

Now, I am here
because I don't believe

you killed
Detective Perotta,

and I want to find out who did.

And you are going to help me.

Yeah, lot of good that'll do.

Tell me about
the threats you were

supposed to have made
against Perotta.

Look, man, that was
a long time ago.

It was stupid.

I mean, he was
the cop who busted me.

I...

I was mad.

And I said some stupid things,
you know.

How did that gun
get in your car?

How the hell
do I know?

Somebody put
it there.

Any ideas who?

What do you want, a list?

Yeah.

That's exactly what I want.

Excuse me, I'm looking
for a Detective Keller.

Third desk,

right back there.

Uh, the guy in
the striped shirt.

Thank you.

Detective Keller.

That's me.

I'm Catherine Chandler with
the District Attorney's Office.

How you doing?

I'm sorry about
Lieutenant Perotta.

Yeah, me, too.

Have a seat.

Eight years
is a long time.

Um, do you have anything to do
with nailing Jackson?

Yes.
I appreciate it.

We all do. Believe me,

it's no
small consolation.

Detective Keller,
I don't believe

Curtis Jackson
killed your partner.

What are you talking about?

We may have
an eyewitness.

What eyewitness?

Who says
Jackson didn't do it?

I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty

to disclose that.

Jackson killed my partner.

He had it out for Tony.
Everyone knew it.

They just about
caught him in the act.

Yes, I know.

He says he was set up.

Look, um,

I'm sorry I flew off.

It's just, you know,
you come in here,

you lay this on me
like a ton of bricks.

Now I don't know what to think.

I understand.

If you have a few minutes, I'd
like to ask you some questions

about recent cases, anybody else

who might have
had a motive.

Just preliminary, but it might
give me a place to start.

Sure, I got a few minutes.

Okay.

Father and I have talked
for a long time.

The decision...

has to be yours, Laura.

Laura...

this place, our world,

means different things
to different people.

For some,
it's a place

of healing
and safety.

To others,
it's our home.

But all of us
reach a point

when we have
to decide

for ourselves what
this place means to us.

Perhaps, now,

is your time to decide.

If you go away,
can you come back?

Of course you
can come back.

You can always
come back.

If you decide to leave.

I can't tell you what to do.

But you are strong, Laura.

Your life has made you powerful

in ways you can't even
begin to imagine.

If I don't... if I can't...

If I can't...

I'm sorry. Vincent?

If she can't imagine
her strength,

how does she know it's true?

Laura, you know

by learning,

by following what your heart
tells you is right,

by going where you need to go.

Hey, Chandler,
you got a second?

Excuse me.
Excuse me.

Just what the hell do
you think you're doing?

Let go of my arm, Joe.

No, you answer me.

You know, Cathy, I
don't understand you.

Yesterday, everything
is beautiful.

We close a major investigation,
like in a textbook,

and today...
today, I find out

you've been sniffing
around behind my back.

Joe, I only waited so I could
bring you something solid.

What?

I'm having
second thoughts.

Why didn't you
come to me yesterday

with your second thoughts?

Because yesterday, I didn't know
there was a witness.

There was a witness, Joe.

Come inside.

Can you produce this witness?

Not yet.

You know, Cathy,
I've been at this game

a little longer than you--

and we got a cop killer
here cold-- open and shut case--

and you're blowing it.

What about due
process, Joe?

What about
reasonable doubt?

Or do you want me to just go
out and hang Curtis Jackson now

and save you the trouble?

You still don't get it,
do you?!

Jackson killed a cop.

And if he's innocent,

does that make
a difference?

Does it make a difference?

Cathy, leave this alone,
for your sake.

My sake.

Isn't there some sort of
hidden agenda here

we're not talking about?

Like how the truth
might make for

an embarrassing
press conference.

You know, my father was a cop.

Up in the South Bronx.

52nd precinct.

He was getting off
from work one morning,

two guys jumped him.

They took his gun
and his watch...

...and they slit his throat.

Yeah.

And they left him there
to bleed to death.

There was no arrest.
Nobody went to trial.

They were 14 years old.

So was I.

Joe...

Joe!

Oh!

Help...

Laur...

Laura...

Turn her around.

The only thing worse than
a cop killer is somebody

who covers up for one.

Back off.

Catherine.

Vincent...

Don't go.

I need you close.

I'll watch over you.

Don't worry.

Sleep now.

This is where
you go out.

You can still
change your mind.

Try not to worry.

You'll be safe,
I'll be near.

The woman I told you
about is waiting.

Yes, Catherine.

You have yourself to thank.

Yourself to be proud of.

Sometimes...

events in our lives

can show us what
we've known all along.

This last year,

I felt, in you,

a need to see beyond
these tunnels and chambers.

You've known, inside yourself,
that it was time.

Until we see each other again,

I will miss you,

as well.

I love you too.

Laura, I...

Are you cold?

I made some hot chocolate.

Come inside.

Tomorrow, you'll have to give
a statement to the police.

After that, it might
be a little rough.

The deposition

and the trial.

Lawyers are not always

the nicest people.

What you're doing
is very brave.

Me?

I'm not so brave.

Why?

Because no one wants me
on this case, except me.

Until now.

I don't understand.

Thank you.

Miss Chandler, this
is Detective Snyder.

He'll be conducting
the interrogation.

Sergeant Griggs.

Sharon Lewis,
from Social Services.

She's here to interpret
for the witness.

This is Laura Williams.

Laura, I'm your
interpreter.

Please have a seat.

We ready to go?

Detective...

Laura is deaf.

We know that.

And no one in
this room speaks

without facing her first.

All set, Larry?

Yeah.

Okay.

Laura, why don't you
start by telling us

what you saw, in
your own words?

I saw somebody
kill a man.

And where did you
see this happen?

It was on...

Cedar Street,
near the corner

of Edgemount.

Would you describe
for us what you saw?

There were two men.

One had a gun.

And I saw him reach
inside the car

and shoot
the other man.

W-- I'm sorry, would you repeat
the last part... about the car?

A man...

who was shot, was
sitting in the car.

Come here.

Joe, that information has
not been made public yet.

There is no way she
could've known

that Perotta was
killed in his car.

I think we got the
real thing here.

Okay, Laura,

why don't you start
from the beginning?

I was walking along,

looking through
the garbage can

for clothes that
I might like.

As I looked up,

I saw the man fire the gun
into the car.

The man shot.

You did great.

Really.

No jury in the world would
ignore that testimony.

Excuse me.

Are you
Catherine Chandler?

Yes.

Call for you.

Who is it?
Your office.

Take it over there,
if you want.

Line five.

Phone call.

Sit right here.

I'll be back
in two minutes.

Yeah.

Hi, Mary.

Don't blame yourself,
Catherine.

What could be safer
than a police station?

The blame rests

only with those who have Laura.

I don't know what to do.

You've told
the police.

That's all you can do for now.

They don't even have an idea
where to start.

She could be anywhere.

She could...
Don't even think of it.

I have to go back.

Please, Vincent,
just take me back.

What are
they saying?

Shh.

There's a message...
from Pascal.

Come with me, quickly.

I don't believe this.

W-What are we doing?

Only what's necessary.

Nothing more,
nothing less.

Why didn't you tell us
there was a witness?

What difference
would it have made?

Zero.

We'd be right
where we are now.

Will you tell her
to shut up?

Hey, don't talk to me
like that.

Stop that!

No!

Pascal.

I put out an emergency
all-quiet signal.

Was it Laura?

Yeah, we think so.

It was Outpost Six
that picked up her SOS

when the tapping stopped.

Isn't there
anything we can do?

Wait.

Maggie and the kids

are out of town until tomorrow,
so the time is now.

No way I'm gonna
let you do this.

Jack, look at her.

She's just a girl.

What is she, a year
older than Nancy?

Two?

Shut up!

I'm getting just
a little damn tired

of having to sugarcoat
everything for you.

It's not my responsibility.

You wanted in on this
from the beginning,

just like the rest of us,
for all the same reasons.

You got a wife,
kids, car,

mortgage payments--

all weighing heavy
on a cop's salary.

Am I right?

That's it.
They've found her.

She's in Brooklyn.

Kill the girl, the
blood's on your hands.

You know the law
as well as I do.

It's on all our hands.

No.

Not this time.

I'm leaving.

You're going nowhere.

Stop me.

Forget it, man.

You should've let me.

Oh, come on.
You're talking crazy.

Yeah? What's he going
to do now?

Go to confession?

I'll go get him.

Nah.

I'll take care
of him later...

...after we're
done here.

What the...?

You got a flashlight?

Yeah, yeah.

Keller.

Come on, Danny,
let's do it.

Joe...!

Hi.

Can I talk to you
for a second?

Sure.

Listen, I'm sorry

about what happened, Cathy.

I know it's been tough on you.

I didn't make it any easier.

No, you didn't.

I let it get personal.

I was stubborn.

I was wrong.

Apology accepted.

Great.

About your father, Joe...

No, listen, I-I had no right
to bring that up when I did.

You had every right.

And I'm glad you told me.

Yeah, well, thanks.

Well....

listen, I'm late
for my weekly report.

You might be
interested to know

Jackson's being
released today.

What about the Keller
interrogation this morning?

He's glad it's over.

The two kilos of
cocaine we recovered
from Yates's basement--

they're from the
Ricardo bust last month,

which both sets of
partners were on.

Huh.

So, when Perotta
got cold feet,

Yates killed him,
set up Jackson.

Mm-hmm.

Simple enough.

Only Yates didn't count on
your witness being there.

Speaking of which, where
did you find that witness?

I didn't.

She found me.

I don't think Father
has reconciled himself.

All he sees is that he's
losing one of his family.

But he won't try
to stop Laura

from coming up...

No, that's not our way.

Where is she now?

Below.

Gathering her things
for tomorrow.

A helper will meet her
and care for her

till the time comes

when she can live
on her own.

What she did
took great courage.

Laura is a
remarkable person.

She feels everything deeply.

She embraces life.

It's how she survives.

You're worried about her
coming up into the world.

Her strength is
her vulnerability.

I think she'll be fine,
Vincent.

I really do.

She had a great teacher.