Cagney & Lacey (1981–1988): Season 2, Episode 10 - Recreational Use - full transcript
Cagney becomes involved with a fellow detective who uses cocaine and must make a difficult decision whether to let it go or turn him in.
You should see
the three of us working together.
I mean, it's embarrassing.
You try and pick up a bad guy, right,
the two of them are holding hands.
Are you crazy? You shouldn't have cocaine
anywhere near a police station.
Stop, or I'll blow your heads off!
You're so much in control.
I know the pressure you feel
to be the perfect woman cop.
You gotta perform.
Don't play dumb with me.
There's a reason
that that man is on drugs.
On drugs?
Come on, we're not talking heroin.
He's a sergeant.
You know the department's attitude.
He will be out of here
in a hot New York minute.
Thank you.
You like it?
Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.
I thought you would.
It's half Colombian, half Vienna Roast.
Well, I should have known.
There's this great place in Gramercy Park.
Sells 75 different kinds of coffee.
I'll take you there.
Oh, what, is it like the great pasta place?
You liked it.
Oh, well. Hey, I mean,
I respect a good con.
Nine bucks for a plate
of cold, green spaghetti.
Are you kidding? I was ready to invest.
Hey, it was written up
in The New York Times.
Oh, well, in The Times.
You are so unhip.
I'll take you to Eddie's,
a rib joint in Harlem. That's hip.
So, take me.
I'd love to, but I gotta go to work.
We're gonna be at least
an hour early again.
No wonder everybody knows about us.
Well, you want to catch the best cases?
Best cases.
Like Mrs. Harrington, best cases?
Now, that one's a cinch.
It's a grounder, man.
So how come your terrific Homicide Squad
can't even prove it's a homicide?
Didn't we have this argument before?
I mean, like, during dinner,
after the movie and all the way home.
Just happen to think you guys are wrong,
that's all.
It's no defeat, you know,
because we were called in on your case,
just because you couldn't solve it.
Defeat? We're talking
about a 75-year-old woman
who happened to have
fallen down a flight of stairs.
She was pushed.
You have no motives, no evidence
and no suspects.
She was pushed, Chris.
Leave it to the pros.
I'll look forward to your findings.
I'm always eager to learn.
- You're learning.
- So are you.
PETRIE: Isn't she terrific?
Really cute.
Well, here. This one is for you.
For me? Oh, no. I couldn't take
your picture of your daughter.
I've got more.
Keeps you up at night, huh?
Claudia's exhausted.
But I don't seem to mind.
Suddenly I've got all this energy.
Well, you've got a daughter.
You know what it's like.
My daughter is 36 years old, lives
with a guy who teaches aerobic dancing.
Wanna know what that's like?
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- What, the master DD-5s are due today?
- Yeah, it's almost the end of the month.
- Jeez, already?
- Yeah.
We got 11 convictions out of 16 cases.
That's not bad.
That's damn good.
So, did you just come in early
to type this up?
Oh, I just had a lot of energy this morning.
Uh-huh.
Oh, what is this, case 5378?
Oh, Mrs. Harrington.
Yeah, remember, the lady who fell
down the stairs in the residential hotel.
I thought we kicked this
over to Homicide Squad.
Well, we called them in
to ask for their opinion.
We certainly didn't kick it over to them.
Well, it was more than an opinion, Chris.
We were way over our heads.
There's just too many factors here.
I still wouldn't swear one way or another
if it was an accident.
So?
So, just get it out of here.
It's not our case.
Technically, Mary Beth,
we're still working together
with the Homicide Squad on this...
No. No. Wait, see,
now we can truly say it's their case,
and we got one less case.
That means we got 11 convictions
out of 15. That's even better.
What's the matter?
You don't want a better percentage?
No. Sure I want a better percentage.
It's just...
I don't know,
it's just such a fascinating case.
You got a call
from a Sergeant Dorian McKenna.
I did? When?
I don't know. I guess before you came in.
Isn't that sweet?
Isbecki, why didn't you tell me he called?
Fascinating case. Wants to follow through.
What am I, dumb or what?
Excuse me, Victor.
- I never liked Dorian McKenna.
- CAGNEY: Yeah, give me Homicide.
- Sure, he's a good cop, but...
- He's a fine detective.
Yeah, but he's a prima donna.
I don't know what she sees in him.
Nobody expects you to.
If you don't mind my being crude,
the boss is in the men's room.
No, that's not crude.
Well, you never know how you're gonna
offend some broad these days.
Oh, here he is.
It's for you. Detective Cagney.
Hello.
Hi. What's up?
DORIAN: I stopped by the coroner's office
on the way in.
There's a little contusion
on the side of Mrs. Harrington's head
they can't figure out.
It could be from the fall
or a blow to the skull.
How do you like that?
It's worth considering.
Yeah, I thought so.
So I'm going back to canvas the building.
Okay. You have any suspects?
No, I think it's random.
- CAGNEY: You want any help?
- No, I've got it.
Oh. So, why'd you call?
Well, are you free for a little coffee break?
You know,
half Vienna Roast, half Colombian?
Coffee? Sure. How do you take it?
Any way you like.
Cream? Sugar?
- If you're ordering out, get me a Danish.
- I don't think so, sir.
I gotta go. Later.
Hi.
You got a suicide over at 149,
East 23rd Street. Take Lacey with you.
What about me?
Cagney signed in first,
Cagney gets the case.
She's on a roll today.
He jumped from here.
Name of the victim?
A Meyer Riesman.
White male, aged 60 or 70.
He lived alone. That's about it for now.
Okay. Thank you.
Why would he keep his overcoat
in the bathroom?
I found this on the back of the door.
I don't know.
Maybe he forgot where he put it.
- Senile, huh?
- I don't know. Look at this.
Oh, well, that's just old country.
My grandmother used to keep
fruit and stuff out there. She said it...
Wait a minute. He's got a fridge in there
with an icemaker
and a freezer four times the size of mine.
So, what do you think, he's crazy?
Or lonely. Or both.
This is no surprise to us
and that is the damn shame of it.
Why is it no surprise, Mr...
George Poulianakis. And I am not afraid.
Good for you, Mr... Sir.
Good for me? Yeah, sure.
I live here 17 years.
I never seen nothing like this now.
Like what?
This used to be a nice building.
Now we got busted mailbox,
elevator broke.
The heat, electricity go on and off
in the middle of the night.
Is this a rent controlled building, sir?
How else could we live?
Well, then, sir, you call
the Building Department
and you tell them
precisely what's going on here.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
They're going to stand in the hallways
so young people
don't write dirty things on the walls?
They could stop punks from pounding
on Meyer Riesman's door?
And follow him home
and threaten to hit him on the head?
Now, who are these punks?
Could you describe them to me?
Please, girlie, I have to sit down.
Oh, please.
I remember, every Monday morning,
the service would deliver
this huge plastic bag of diapers,
and damned if we didn't use
every one of them.
Disposable diapers are the answer,
I'm telling you.
Yeah. I'll bet.
We tried cloth, too,
thinking it'd be more natural,
but paper ones really keep the baby drier.
You know, the first time
my son had diaper rash, I cried.
I figured it hurt so much. I didn't know
how to take away the hurt, you know.
I know what you mean.
That's between you and me.
No problem.
Cagney. Lacey. Come here.
Sergeant McKenna's not so sure
you got a suicide there.
- Oh, no?
- What're you doing on this case?
Well, I heard about it
and it sounded a lot like Mrs. Harrington,
the lady who was killed
in the residential hotel.
Was she killed?
The ME's office is leaning that way, Bert.
I don't get it. What's similar?
You have two old people
living alone in rundown hotels.
Both deaths could have been mistaken
for accidents,
although both victims were active
and in good health.
Well, we just got a neighbor...
Excuse me, sir.
Mr. George Poulia... P-O-U-L-I-A-N-A-K-I-S.
He said that two men in their 20s
were harassing Mr. Riesman.
Do you think they shoved him
out the window?
Well, I sent a few guys out this afternoon
and they found his daughter
living in Queens.
Her father just bought
a little retirement place in the Poconos.
They were gonna spend
the summer together.
- So he wasn't lonely.
- Or crazy.
He just bought season tickets
for the New York City Ballet.
- Does that sound like a suicide?
- Then what was the motive?
Any connection
between these two people?
Well, the best connection we have so far
is that the hotel
and the apartment building
were two blocks apart.
We can canvas the area.
All right. I want you two
to work with Sergeant McKenna.
We got him on a steal
from Homicide Squad,
so make the most use of his time.
Yes, sir.
Thanks, Bert.
You got it.
- What about dinner?
- Sure.
How about Cuban-Chinese?
Have a good time.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Why don't you come with us?
No, the investigation's gonna be
enough of a triple date as it is.
- No, come on. We'll ask Harvey.
- Yeah.
Not for Cuban-Chinese.
We'll take a rain check, huh?
Okay. You're on.
I wanna stop by the lab first,
see what they got.
Oh, they're not going to have anything yet.
Yeah, but you get things faster
when you sit on their head.
You're going to a lab in Brooklyn
in the middle of rush-hour traffic?
You've got a lot of energy.
The man loves his work.
Well, have a good time, my children.
I will see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
Want some?
No. Are you crazy?
You shouldn't have cocaine anywhere
near a police station. Put it away.
Well, I'll say it's evidence.
Would you stop kidding around?
You're on duty.
Please, Dory, put it away.
You're making me very uptight.
Thank you.
Shouldn't we check the relatives
or the employment records
of the victims first?
- I wanna do it this way.
- Okay.
Mary Beth's just saying
that there could be a connection
between Mr. Riesman and Mrs. Harrington
other than your theoretical homicide.
- The connection is heat.
- Heat?
Both those buildings have been
without heat this winter.
Why did Mr. Riesman
wear his overcoat indoors?
Why did he keep food out
on the windowsill? No electricity.
But that's a nice building.
Yeah, I think what Dory's saying
is that the building's just on its way down.
According to the tenants, things started
to deteriorate during the last two years.
That happens a lot
when you change owners.
I think we're getting
ahead of ourselves here.
No, I think Dory just means...
He can speak for himself.
Chris, look, why don't you let me
speak for myself?
Okay.
Excuse me. I'm going to the men's room.
Miss Hickey's on her lunch hour.
She said come back about 3:00.
3:00? Where's she having lunch,
Connecticut?
She has to go to her doctor.
Can anybody else help us?
Nope.
Do you know we could charge you
with obstruction?
Would it get me off work?
Nobody's allowed in here.
Let's go, smart mouth.
I can't start going through
all that information.
I'm on my break in 10 minutes.
Well, then you've got 10 minutes
to find it. Go.
CAGNEY: The guy's got buildings
in everybody's name but his own.
In his wife's, his son's.
Anyway, the bottom line is,
the hotel and the apartment house
where the two people died
are both owned by one man.
A Leonard F. Nolan.
We found
over 300 outstanding housing violations
and $43,000 in unpaid fines.
So, what does the guy do? Walk?
He hires a P.R. firm and a good lawyer.
He's never made any of his court dates.
In the meantime,
he's just destroying his own buildings.
Co-op conversions?
- Yeah.
- Seems to be.
He's got a lot of ways
of forcing tenants out.
Broken mailboxes, withholding heat,
etcetera, etcetera.
Yeah. They move,
he claims lack of occupancy.
He turns them into co-ops
and he makes a fortune.
So, where is this crumb?
LACEY: The Bahamas, sir.
That's what the P.R. man said.
Get on a plane, go down to the Bahamas
and bring him back.
Just kidding.
- I knew it.
- How could you tell?
Listen, Victor. If you don't want it,
I'll just take it back. It's okay.
- Want what?
- The picture I gave you the other day.
Oh, Marvin Oszelewski?
Lauren. My daughter, Lauren.
Oh, your daughter, Lauren. Yeah.
I was just...
I was just gonna have that...
- I was gonna have that framed.
- You don't have to do that.
It's amazing, but she's already changed
since we took that picture.
I've got two more rolls
developing right now.
That's great.
(PHONE RINGS)
Paul La Guardia. 14th Squad.
Oh, yes. Yes, I'll get her for you.
Just hold on.
Lacey. For you, on three.
Detective Lacey. Yes, Mrs. Skimmins.
Thank you so much for coming.
I didn't know who else to call.
I've kept the oven on,
but still it's 49 degrees in here.
May I use your telephone,
please, Mrs. Skimmins?
Certainly.
And the electricity went off
again last night.
Now, fortunately, I didn't have
too much in the freezer, but...
Does this happen a lot?
Oh, all the time,
and it's mostly senior citizens living here,
like Mr. Poulianakis.
Mr. Poulianakis. Is that the gentleman
I met the other day in the hall?
Yes. Now, I am really
very concerned about him.
What's the problem?
Every Tuesday, we go to the public library.
But yesterday, I knocked on his door
and he didn't answer.
I called. The phone rings,
but he doesn't answer that either.
- Does he have a wife?
- No, his wife died.
Mr. Robbins, this is Detective Lacey,
14th Squad.
- So, I think he's just alone in there.
- We need some help here
- at 146, East 23rd Street.
- I'm really very worried about him.
I think something
must have happened to him.
Could you show us his apartment, please?
Well, whatever you could do, sir.
I know that my Lieutenant
would be very grateful.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
- They're checking into an emergency crew.
- Bless you.
- Mary Beth.
- Mr. Poulianakis' room is right over here.
What?
Mr. Poulianakis!
We're the police. We'd like to help you.
Are you inside?
It's not like him at all.
- He's in there.
- Yeah, he is.
- Where's your fire hose?
- Right here.
Sir? We're coming, just hang on!
It's Detective Lacey from the other day,
and just... We're coming, all right?
- Okay. Okay.
- Back up. Back up.
Mrs. Skimmins, just hold this
and stand clear, all right?
Please get back there. Yeah.
Sir, we're gonna break your door in now,
so just don't be afraid!
Mary Beth, would you back up already!
Give me one more hit.
- Oh, my God.
- CAGNEY: Good Lord, it's freezing in here.
Oh, you don't know what they did to me.
Hoodlums. It was snowing outside,
you know.
- My wife with the baby.
- He's dehydrated.
Mrs. Skimmins, will you get
as many blankets as you can find, please?
Please. I need drink.
It's all right, Mr. Poulianakis. You'll be fine.
- Mary Beth, he's so cold.
- Just easy, now, easy.
Who did this to you? Who were they?
I could not go nowheres. I could not call.
He took my walker.
They took his walker.
CAGNEY: Get an ambulance over to 149,
East 23rd Street, apartment 504.
(PHONE RINGS)
- Hello.
- DORIAN: Did I wake you up?
Hi.
No, you didn't wake me up.
Why do I always say that when people
call me in the middle of the night?
Of course, you woke me up.
I just wanted to ask you a question.
- CAGNEY: Ask.
- Are you alone?
Hold on a minute. I'll put him on.
Harry, come here, sweetheart.
You're really cooking
for 2:00 in the morning.
Yeah, so are you.
What's the sudden paranoia?
No, no, no, no, I just...
I just didn't want you to forget about me.
Dory,
you got nothing to worry about, okay?
- Where are you?
- I'm in the corner... I'm in a... I...
I'm in a phone booth
on the corner of 23rd and Lex.
- I'm freezing my buns off, by the way.
- Why?
I couldn't sleep
and it's the first of the month
and there's a chance that Nolan's thugs
may come around to collect the rent
and maybe bust up the boiler again.
You're really onto this guy, aren't you?
It's no big deal.
I don't like the idea of you being
out there all by yourself.
Yeah. That's what my ex-wife used to say.
And she didn't even know
the half of it. Right?
Listen.
Why don't you come over here
and be with me?
I'm all right, sweetheart, really.
Why don't you go back to sleep? I...
I just get a little crazy sometimes.
That's okay.
All right. I'll talk to you later.
Bye.
- Good night.
- Harry, come here!
Mr. Nolan's on vacation in Honolulu.
We heard the Bahamas.
I should know where he is. I'm his mother.
Well, then you know about his buildings.
He talks to me sometimes.
Here I just answer the phone.
Did you know that two of your son's
tenants died the past 10 days,
and the third, he's in the hospital
in grave condition?
Lots of people drop dead
every day in this city.
A Mr. Meyer Riesman,
a Mrs. Jane Harrington.
They give you any particular problem?
I could look up and see
if they've been paying their rents.
Please do.
These tenants today.
It's not like years ago.
They bring cockroaches,
let their kids make noise in the halls.
Both of these people
were elderly and lived alone.
Now those, I feel sorry for.
They're the victims.
I got nothing out of the ordinary
on those names.
Isn't this a dangerous job for you girls?
Let's get out a warrant for Nolan.
I'd love to, but for what? A chat?
We've gotta come up
with something better than that.
How about criminal rottenness?
Look, I'm not gonna go back with you.
I gotta go home and change.
- For what?
- I've got a date.
- Someplace nice?
- He said he'd take me out to dinner.
Lucky you.
- I love this job.
- Oh, you really do, don't you?
- Look at us, fighting the bad guys.
- That's what it's all about.
Yeah. That and getting promoted.
Don't worry about that.
You got what's called the right stuff,
just like I do.
I'm so glad you think so.
Samuels respects your work.
So do I.
Thank you.
Do you have a tissue or something?
Yeah. In my coat, in the back.
You know how long I've been in this car?
It's going on 65 hours.
- This keeps you awake?
- Yeah. It's a lot like caffeine.
But a lot more fun than coffee.
Hey, frankly, I think
that cocaine's overrated,
I mean, the way I use it.
It's really very subtle.
I mean, do I look like a raving maniac
or a record producer to you?
It's turning you into a record producer?
Now, I'm really worried.
Are you? I mean,
it's no big deal unless you abuse it.
Which you don't.
What, do you think I'm a doofus, huh?
It just makes you concentrate. I mean,
it makes your mind more alert, you know?
At least, you think so, huh?
Come on, baby.
This is it.
- Hold it. Hold it, police! Hold it.
- Hold it right there.
Go, go.
- Get to the car and call for backup.
- All right.
This is detective car 872.
(SIRENS BLARING)
Stop, or I'll blow your heads off!
Freeze! Out! Keep your hands up.
Against the car.
- MAN: All right.
- Spread! Spread!
- All right, man.
- Further!
- Out of the car, kid! Move it!
- Out of the car!
Close that door!
Spread! Spread your legs! Out!
Who paid you to bust up that boiler?
You have the right to remain silent.
Nobody, it was our own idea.
- Where'd you get it?
- We got it from watching TV.
Watch your mouth, you're in deep
and it's gonna get deeper.
We gotta call our lawyer.
- You call him.
- Come on, man. Take it easy.
Frisk them and cuff them.
- Dory, you don't look so good.
- I'm fine, thank you.
That was absolutely nuts what you did.
But we got him, didn't we?
Hey, Tommy.
Hey.
Do yourselves a favor, give this guy up.
We know that Nolan paid you to do it.
Nobody paid us a cent.
Just your own natural creativity, right?
You must think an awful lot of Mr. Nolan
to protect him like this.
DORIAN: Oh, they don't think at all.
We ain't as stupid as you.
- You got two seconds...
- Dory, come on.
- Two seconds to apologize.
- Hey, Dory, come on.
Apologize, you stinking little punk.
- Come on, apologize!
- Dory, come on!
He apologizes.
This is Mr. Russell.
He represents Leonard Nolan.
Oh, yes. How is Mr. Nolan?
Still enjoying the sun in the Bahamas?
Or is it Hawaii?
My client called me this morning
and asked me to intercede.
Fine. These two were caught trespassing
and damaging a boiler.
Yes, but Mr. Nolan has decided
not to press charges.
Oh, smart cookie.
Mr. Nolan feels this act of vandalism
was performed
by two unfortunate victims of society
who, due to unemployment
and a lack of education,
had no alternative but to vent their anger
on someone else's property.
He wants to give them another chance.
He also doesn't want them
testifying against him.
So, can we go or what?
Well, Mr. Nolan is the complainant, right?
And if he doesn't want to press charges,
what have we got to hold them on?
- Resisting arrest.
- That'll do.
Good bye, Mr. Russell.
Dory's got a great idea.
We haul Nolan up
in front of the grand jury,
force him to explain why he will not
press charges against those punks,
and hopefully, he will perjure himself.
Is that a gutsy move?
Yeah. How're you gonna get him in?
Petrie and Isbecki are gonna do
a nail and serve.
Dory seems to be in kind of a bad mood.
You two still wanna come to dinner?
Oh, yeah. Oh, come on.
We're looking forward to it.
He may be a little hung over.
He did a little coke last night.
- Cocaine?
- Yeah.
Just a minute.
Well, he was up for 72 hours
on that stakeout.
Did he tell you that he was using cocaine?
After I got there, yeah.
I didn't hear any of this, Chris.
And you better not tell
anybody else, either.
Hey, I didn't say I was using it.
Mary Beth, look, he just uses it
for recreational purposes.
Christine, don't play dumb with me.
There's a reason
that that man is on drugs.
On drugs?
Come on, we're not talking heroin.
He's a sergeant.
You know the department's attitude.
He will be out of here
in a hot New York minute.
Yeah. Well, I'm not so sure
that there isn't more drug abuse going on
than the department would like
to know about frankly.
Aren't you the one
who was ready to write off her father
because he took payoffs
on his beat 30 years ago?
And all of a sudden, it's okay with you
that cops who are supposed
to uphold the law are taking illegal drugs.
I didn't say that.
Oh, I see. Dory's the exception.
How come you're being so hard on me?
If you were ever caught in a car
with him with that stuff,
they could have you
for presumed possession, you know that.
I hope you use your head about this.
I'm really sorry I ever mentioned it at all.
So am I.
Think Mr. Nolan'll miss this warrant?
It's a pretty nice neighborhood
for a scuzzball.
Yeah. It's a great place for children.
Claudia says that when you give Lauren
a rattle now, she looks up and smiles.
I'm sorry if I'm boring you.
No. I love kids. I told you that.
I might not love hearing about them
all the time, that's all.
It's lousy working all day, not being there
while your child's growing up.
Lauren does all these terrific things
and I hear them second hand from Claudia.
You know, I get up at 5:00 in the morning
just to play with my baby.
I never knew fathers could feel that way.
I'll shut up.
That's okay.
You must get tired of hearing me
talk about whatever I talk about.
Yourself.
Yeah, but who could blame me?
The kids made dessert.
Is that why there's a bite missing?
I tell you, no. There were
two guys from my high school
that made it to the pro ranks
and I know that there was one from yours.
You don't remember his name?
He was a defensive line. He played...
Chicken smells great, hon.
Well, I hope so. Are you guys hungry?
Yeah, I'm utterly starving.
Oh, well, then we'll speed it up here.
Hey, Mary Beth, please take it easy.
I mean it's only us slobs.
- Hey, speak for yourself.
- I beg your pardon.
Why don't you relax? I mean you've been
on your feet all day. Have a drink.
- I mean, this'll take care of itself.
- This? How?
- I'll do it.
- Yeah, yeah. We'll do it. You girls sit down.
- All right? All right?
- What?
Why don't you put your feet up
on the chair?
- Very nice.
- Take your shoes off. Here we go.
- Is that the way he treats you?
- This is the way I treat him.
Hey, Harvey, where's the john?
- Through there on the right.
- All right. Excuse me.
Isn't that beautiful?
Hey, I think you've got yourself
a real swell fellow there, Christine.
Yeah.
- He's sweet, isn't he?
- HARVEY: Oh, yeah. Now what is sweet?
Sweet is going to the drugstore
for tampons when you've got cramps.
Oh, what a thing to say.
- Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I do that.
- Do you?
- Yeah.
- Well, you're sweet, too.
I would say so.
You should see
the three of us working together.
I mean, it's embarrassing.
You try and pick up a bad guy, right,
the two of them are holding hands.
This is not true. The woman opens
her face, lies pour out. It is not true.
Hey, it's gonna be a while, Dory.
This ought to hold you.
Oh, no thanks. Not for me.
- I thought you were starving.
- Oh, did I say that?
No, really, I can wait.
But, look, let me make the dressing, huh?
Do I do great things with garlic.
You got any fresh?
And, also, I need some oregano.
- Hey, you got a cold?
- Oregano's right over here.
No, no, it's just the steam heat, you know.
It dries me out.
You are going to love this.
- Wait a minute. Park it over there.
- Yeah, sure.
You should keep a pot of water
on the radiator.
Yeah, pots. Look, I got pots
all over the apartment, you know.
Then I look around,
I got nothing to cook with.
The whole trick of these little devils is...
Honey, you want me
to help you set the table?
Yes. Excuse us, huh?
Now, how're you doing, baby?
Yeah.
Now, the whole trick of this is
to just try to get the little garlics out
without wounding them.
It's a little, tiny, delicate operation
that must be performed here,
which I learned in the Catskill Mountains
from a friend of mine.
His name was Larry.
LACEY: Honey, I can't...
HARVEY: Hey!
I know what that guy was doing
in this bathroom and so do you.
So what's the story, huh?
Honey, I didn't know
he was gonna do it here.
You mean, he takes that stuff
while he works?
- I don't know for sure.
- Oh, you don't know for sure.
You mean, he only does it here
in our house,
with the kids asleep in the next room.
I did coke before I met you, Chris,
long before,
so don't take it so damn personally.
Well, how can you just toot up like that
in Mary Beth's house?
I told you how she felt about it.
It's like peanuts.
If it's there, it's hard to resist.
- Well, can't you stop?
- I never thought about it.
How much do you take anyway?
I don't know, maybe a quarter, maybe
a half. It's nothing I can't handle.
Oh, sure, but enough that you gotta have
Valium to come down from it.
Why do you need it?
I don't need it.
I just don't like to be without it, that's all.
I thought you were so much in control.
That's because you're so much in control.
I know the pressure you feel
to be the perfect woman cop.
- You gotta perform, right?
- Pretty close.
Yeah.
Well, for an unfeeling coke-head,
I've got your number, don't I?
Yeah, maybe. Sometimes.
So, what, coke makes you numb, huh?
I mean, your mind works faster,
but, emotionally, you feel nothing.
Yeah, it's an anesthetic. It cools you out.
You really want it to be like that,
don't you?
Even between us.
Like what?
Cold. Clean as ice.
I can't tell her what to do.
She cares very much for him.
I care very much for you.
I do not want you working with this guy.
His judgment is obviously off
and it makes me wonder about Chris, too.
- Honey, I can't set my own...
- Hey, this is not a discussion.
Get your priorities straight, huh?
- Honey...
- End of subject.
I'm sorry, Harv.
Where's Sergeant McKenna?
His line's been busy all morning.
- Well, try him at home.
- That's where I have been trying.
Oh, okay. Well, let's go without him.
Our lawyer says he'll have us
out of here by tomorrow.
- I wouldn't pack my bags.
- Both of youse have priors.
So, what else is new?
Hey, you punk, you ever heard
of the persistent felon program?
Two felonies and you qualify.
And the current sentence
is a minimum of 25 years to life.
I only have one felony conviction.
You can look that up on my record.
We already have done that, Mr. Nunzio,
and you're quite right.
But you did break that boiler
over at 149, East 23rd Street.
We didn't hurt it.
You did at least $250 of damages,
wouldn't you say, Detective Cagney?
Oh, at least. Yeah.
So that's at least a Class E felony.
This is police brutality.
I think you guys ought to call
your lawyer again.
Either that or you got another choice.
- You tell us about Nolan.
- What about him?
Did he pay you to vandalize his property?
To terrorize his tenants?
Or would you rather
take the fall for murder?
Nolan paid us 50 bucks.
For what?
To hurt the old man, take his walker?
What old man? We never hurt nobody.
Whatever went down,
Nolan did that himself.
He said he was better with people.
So we just did some little jobs for him,
that's it.
I'm gonna go pick up Dory...
Sergeant McKenna.
If Mary Beth calls, would you tell her
to meet me at the Nolan house?
SAMUELS: Well, take backup.
Wasn't Isbecki and Petrie on the case?
LA GUARDIA: They're over
on the sweater factory arson.
Yeah, there are three of us. It's okay.
La Guardia, can I use your car?
I've never met Mr. Nolan.
I've never even seen him.
Now you tell me he's carrying a shotgun.
That's the way
Mr. Poulianakis described him.
I'm alone here. I really can't get involved.
Mrs. Skimmins, we can protect you.
I've never seen anything
out of the ordinary.
I really must be going.
Mr. Poulianakis is getting out
of the hospital today.
That's good. Thank you. The heat still on?
Yes, thank you. It is.
(PHONE RINGS)
La Guardia. Detectives. 14th Squad.
No, she's just left.
She went to Nolan's?
Yeah. Give me the address.
Don't tell me
we finally got something on him.
I suggest you drop the gun, sir.
'Cause he's...
Chris, just...
Chris!
I've got him. Go around the other way.
(EXCLAIMS)
- What're you doing?
- Leave him alone.
Why? Who was he? Did I make a mistake?
No, no, you did the right thing.
- But he was holding a gun on you.
- Look, it was all right.
I'm sorry.
I thought he was one of Nolan's men.
No, it's just somebody I owe money to.
No.
No.
Somebody could have gotten hurt
out there, Dory.
An innocent bystander. Anybody.
Would you take it easy? It was just
bad luck you came along when you did.
Damn it.
I can't take this anymore.
(EXCLAIMS)
You know what'd have happened
if he'd have found out I was a cop?
Damn you!
This is detective car 12,
have you got a message for me
from Detectives Cagney or McKenna?
Are they on their way?
WOMAN ON RADIO: No message, car 12.
Do you require backup?
Negative.
I think.
- Leonard F. Nolan?
- Who wants to know?
Detective Lacey, 14th. How are you, sir?
I've been better. How are you?
Fine. We posted a warrant on your door
the other day. Did you see that?
- I tore it up.
- Did you? Oh, that's disrespectful, sir.
That costs the taxpayers' money
to send two detectives out here...
Lady, I got so many warrants and fines
and who knows what else,
I could plaster a room.
- That's harassment, that's what it is.
- Oh, no, sir.
I've been dealing
with the city of New York 12 years.
No, this warrant isn't about your property,
sir. It concerns a homicide investigation.
Oh, then you definitely got the wrong guy.
I'm not here to pass judgment.
I don't know whether I got the right guy
or not. I'm just doing my job.
So?
Can I give you some advice?
Come down to the precinct,
straighten the whole thing out.
- You got a lawyer?
- Of course, I got a lawyer.
Well, then, no problem, no sweat.
You call him. He'll take care of it, I'm sure.
I mean, that's what lawyers get paid for,
isn't it?
I gotta be somewhere.
Mr. Nolan, you know
how these things drag on and on.
Let's get it over with, huh?
You got to, sooner or later.
Come on, I'll drive.
Isn't this a nice house?
We live in an apartment.
It's so nice having all this room, isn't it?
But it's a big commute into the city.
It must get bad in sloppy weather, huh?
You could take the train, I guess.
Oh, watch your step here.
We would have a private home
if we could afford it.
But the interest rates have been
so crazy recently.
I mean, we just never have the price
for a down payment.
I lived in an apartment all my life.
All my life.
To tell you the truth, I don't know
what I'd do with all this room.
Sit down.
I got a girlfriend. Believe it or not,
she won't go 15 miles outside the city
'cause she says she can't stand
the silence, would you believe that?
Listen. Could you help me
going out of here,
'cause I got a little confused on the roads?
Put that in the back and put
your seatbelt on. I don't want to lose you.
You have no evidence against my client.
We have statements
signed by two young men
who were hired by Mr. Nolan
to willfully damage his property.
Who?
Those two lousy punks? Street hustlers?
You're going to believe them?
Punks, huh? That's funny. Last time
you called them victims of society.
Isn't that right, Mr. Nolan?
- Let me just recap this...
- Mr. Poulianakis...
Christine.
Mr. Poulianakis, do you know
who that man is?
- Just take your time, sir.
- Would you please...
Is he the one that you described to us?
Yes. He is the one who took my walker.
- Are you sure?
- Don't push.
I'm sure.
Okay, and you're willing to testify?
Mrs. Lacey already explained that to me.
Well, I just wanted you to understand...
He understands.
MR. POULIANAKIS: I hope you
lock him away good.
Well, murder, attempted murder,
reckless endangerment.
Don't worry. He's in a lot of trouble.
Thank you for your help, Mrs. Skimmins.
Now, he's going to say
something perfectly awful in Greek.
(SPEAKING IN GREEK)
Good for you.
Dory!
She's furious with me and she's right.
We blew the collar.
We weren't there for backup.
Sure she's right.
We both acted like a couple of jerks.
- We?
- Sweetheart,
you walked into a situation with me
in the car that you did not understand.
And you blew it entirely out of proportion.
Really, I had it under control.
Control? Who are you kidding?
Dory, when's this gonna stop?
What are you gonna do, change my life?
But you're hooked or dependant
or whatever it is you call it.
Chris, without cocaine,
I couldn't do what I do, okay?
I couldn't work as long.
I couldn't work as hard.
It makes me a better cop.
If you really believe that, Dory,
you need help.
For me, it just gives me
a little push, okay?
If you don't get help,
I'm gonna turn you in.
Wait, wait. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Think about what you're saying.
And who you're saying it to.
It's like holding a loaded gun to my belly.
I don't want to be the one holding the gun.
I don't!
Then don't. Leave it alone.
I'm gonna turn you in.
I'm not worth all this to you.
If I had nothing else to do
with the rest of my life,
I'd try to convince you
just how worthy you are.
But as it turns out,
I got a couple of things pending.
(CRYING)
Christine.
I was wondering
if we got the new towels in.
Towels? I don't know.
Yeah. We were out
and I ordered some that were softer.
I've been meaning to bring
some hand lotion from home.
Yeah, the weather's...
It's really hard on your hands.
I know.
This should really break their heart
and paint this place.
Well, maybe one weekend,
we'll come in, we'll paint it.
Maybe not.
Come here.
the three of us working together.
I mean, it's embarrassing.
You try and pick up a bad guy, right,
the two of them are holding hands.
Are you crazy? You shouldn't have cocaine
anywhere near a police station.
Stop, or I'll blow your heads off!
You're so much in control.
I know the pressure you feel
to be the perfect woman cop.
You gotta perform.
Don't play dumb with me.
There's a reason
that that man is on drugs.
On drugs?
Come on, we're not talking heroin.
He's a sergeant.
You know the department's attitude.
He will be out of here
in a hot New York minute.
Thank you.
You like it?
Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.
I thought you would.
It's half Colombian, half Vienna Roast.
Well, I should have known.
There's this great place in Gramercy Park.
Sells 75 different kinds of coffee.
I'll take you there.
Oh, what, is it like the great pasta place?
You liked it.
Oh, well. Hey, I mean,
I respect a good con.
Nine bucks for a plate
of cold, green spaghetti.
Are you kidding? I was ready to invest.
Hey, it was written up
in The New York Times.
Oh, well, in The Times.
You are so unhip.
I'll take you to Eddie's,
a rib joint in Harlem. That's hip.
So, take me.
I'd love to, but I gotta go to work.
We're gonna be at least
an hour early again.
No wonder everybody knows about us.
Well, you want to catch the best cases?
Best cases.
Like Mrs. Harrington, best cases?
Now, that one's a cinch.
It's a grounder, man.
So how come your terrific Homicide Squad
can't even prove it's a homicide?
Didn't we have this argument before?
I mean, like, during dinner,
after the movie and all the way home.
Just happen to think you guys are wrong,
that's all.
It's no defeat, you know,
because we were called in on your case,
just because you couldn't solve it.
Defeat? We're talking
about a 75-year-old woman
who happened to have
fallen down a flight of stairs.
She was pushed.
You have no motives, no evidence
and no suspects.
She was pushed, Chris.
Leave it to the pros.
I'll look forward to your findings.
I'm always eager to learn.
- You're learning.
- So are you.
PETRIE: Isn't she terrific?
Really cute.
Well, here. This one is for you.
For me? Oh, no. I couldn't take
your picture of your daughter.
I've got more.
Keeps you up at night, huh?
Claudia's exhausted.
But I don't seem to mind.
Suddenly I've got all this energy.
Well, you've got a daughter.
You know what it's like.
My daughter is 36 years old, lives
with a guy who teaches aerobic dancing.
Wanna know what that's like?
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- What, the master DD-5s are due today?
- Yeah, it's almost the end of the month.
- Jeez, already?
- Yeah.
We got 11 convictions out of 16 cases.
That's not bad.
That's damn good.
So, did you just come in early
to type this up?
Oh, I just had a lot of energy this morning.
Uh-huh.
Oh, what is this, case 5378?
Oh, Mrs. Harrington.
Yeah, remember, the lady who fell
down the stairs in the residential hotel.
I thought we kicked this
over to Homicide Squad.
Well, we called them in
to ask for their opinion.
We certainly didn't kick it over to them.
Well, it was more than an opinion, Chris.
We were way over our heads.
There's just too many factors here.
I still wouldn't swear one way or another
if it was an accident.
So?
So, just get it out of here.
It's not our case.
Technically, Mary Beth,
we're still working together
with the Homicide Squad on this...
No. No. Wait, see,
now we can truly say it's their case,
and we got one less case.
That means we got 11 convictions
out of 15. That's even better.
What's the matter?
You don't want a better percentage?
No. Sure I want a better percentage.
It's just...
I don't know,
it's just such a fascinating case.
You got a call
from a Sergeant Dorian McKenna.
I did? When?
I don't know. I guess before you came in.
Isn't that sweet?
Isbecki, why didn't you tell me he called?
Fascinating case. Wants to follow through.
What am I, dumb or what?
Excuse me, Victor.
- I never liked Dorian McKenna.
- CAGNEY: Yeah, give me Homicide.
- Sure, he's a good cop, but...
- He's a fine detective.
Yeah, but he's a prima donna.
I don't know what she sees in him.
Nobody expects you to.
If you don't mind my being crude,
the boss is in the men's room.
No, that's not crude.
Well, you never know how you're gonna
offend some broad these days.
Oh, here he is.
It's for you. Detective Cagney.
Hello.
Hi. What's up?
DORIAN: I stopped by the coroner's office
on the way in.
There's a little contusion
on the side of Mrs. Harrington's head
they can't figure out.
It could be from the fall
or a blow to the skull.
How do you like that?
It's worth considering.
Yeah, I thought so.
So I'm going back to canvas the building.
Okay. You have any suspects?
No, I think it's random.
- CAGNEY: You want any help?
- No, I've got it.
Oh. So, why'd you call?
Well, are you free for a little coffee break?
You know,
half Vienna Roast, half Colombian?
Coffee? Sure. How do you take it?
Any way you like.
Cream? Sugar?
- If you're ordering out, get me a Danish.
- I don't think so, sir.
I gotta go. Later.
Hi.
You got a suicide over at 149,
East 23rd Street. Take Lacey with you.
What about me?
Cagney signed in first,
Cagney gets the case.
She's on a roll today.
He jumped from here.
Name of the victim?
A Meyer Riesman.
White male, aged 60 or 70.
He lived alone. That's about it for now.
Okay. Thank you.
Why would he keep his overcoat
in the bathroom?
I found this on the back of the door.
I don't know.
Maybe he forgot where he put it.
- Senile, huh?
- I don't know. Look at this.
Oh, well, that's just old country.
My grandmother used to keep
fruit and stuff out there. She said it...
Wait a minute. He's got a fridge in there
with an icemaker
and a freezer four times the size of mine.
So, what do you think, he's crazy?
Or lonely. Or both.
This is no surprise to us
and that is the damn shame of it.
Why is it no surprise, Mr...
George Poulianakis. And I am not afraid.
Good for you, Mr... Sir.
Good for me? Yeah, sure.
I live here 17 years.
I never seen nothing like this now.
Like what?
This used to be a nice building.
Now we got busted mailbox,
elevator broke.
The heat, electricity go on and off
in the middle of the night.
Is this a rent controlled building, sir?
How else could we live?
Well, then, sir, you call
the Building Department
and you tell them
precisely what's going on here.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
They're going to stand in the hallways
so young people
don't write dirty things on the walls?
They could stop punks from pounding
on Meyer Riesman's door?
And follow him home
and threaten to hit him on the head?
Now, who are these punks?
Could you describe them to me?
Please, girlie, I have to sit down.
Oh, please.
I remember, every Monday morning,
the service would deliver
this huge plastic bag of diapers,
and damned if we didn't use
every one of them.
Disposable diapers are the answer,
I'm telling you.
Yeah. I'll bet.
We tried cloth, too,
thinking it'd be more natural,
but paper ones really keep the baby drier.
You know, the first time
my son had diaper rash, I cried.
I figured it hurt so much. I didn't know
how to take away the hurt, you know.
I know what you mean.
That's between you and me.
No problem.
Cagney. Lacey. Come here.
Sergeant McKenna's not so sure
you got a suicide there.
- Oh, no?
- What're you doing on this case?
Well, I heard about it
and it sounded a lot like Mrs. Harrington,
the lady who was killed
in the residential hotel.
Was she killed?
The ME's office is leaning that way, Bert.
I don't get it. What's similar?
You have two old people
living alone in rundown hotels.
Both deaths could have been mistaken
for accidents,
although both victims were active
and in good health.
Well, we just got a neighbor...
Excuse me, sir.
Mr. George Poulia... P-O-U-L-I-A-N-A-K-I-S.
He said that two men in their 20s
were harassing Mr. Riesman.
Do you think they shoved him
out the window?
Well, I sent a few guys out this afternoon
and they found his daughter
living in Queens.
Her father just bought
a little retirement place in the Poconos.
They were gonna spend
the summer together.
- So he wasn't lonely.
- Or crazy.
He just bought season tickets
for the New York City Ballet.
- Does that sound like a suicide?
- Then what was the motive?
Any connection
between these two people?
Well, the best connection we have so far
is that the hotel
and the apartment building
were two blocks apart.
We can canvas the area.
All right. I want you two
to work with Sergeant McKenna.
We got him on a steal
from Homicide Squad,
so make the most use of his time.
Yes, sir.
Thanks, Bert.
You got it.
- What about dinner?
- Sure.
How about Cuban-Chinese?
Have a good time.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Why don't you come with us?
No, the investigation's gonna be
enough of a triple date as it is.
- No, come on. We'll ask Harvey.
- Yeah.
Not for Cuban-Chinese.
We'll take a rain check, huh?
Okay. You're on.
I wanna stop by the lab first,
see what they got.
Oh, they're not going to have anything yet.
Yeah, but you get things faster
when you sit on their head.
You're going to a lab in Brooklyn
in the middle of rush-hour traffic?
You've got a lot of energy.
The man loves his work.
Well, have a good time, my children.
I will see you tomorrow.
Yeah.
Want some?
No. Are you crazy?
You shouldn't have cocaine anywhere
near a police station. Put it away.
Well, I'll say it's evidence.
Would you stop kidding around?
You're on duty.
Please, Dory, put it away.
You're making me very uptight.
Thank you.
Shouldn't we check the relatives
or the employment records
of the victims first?
- I wanna do it this way.
- Okay.
Mary Beth's just saying
that there could be a connection
between Mr. Riesman and Mrs. Harrington
other than your theoretical homicide.
- The connection is heat.
- Heat?
Both those buildings have been
without heat this winter.
Why did Mr. Riesman
wear his overcoat indoors?
Why did he keep food out
on the windowsill? No electricity.
But that's a nice building.
Yeah, I think what Dory's saying
is that the building's just on its way down.
According to the tenants, things started
to deteriorate during the last two years.
That happens a lot
when you change owners.
I think we're getting
ahead of ourselves here.
No, I think Dory just means...
He can speak for himself.
Chris, look, why don't you let me
speak for myself?
Okay.
Excuse me. I'm going to the men's room.
Miss Hickey's on her lunch hour.
She said come back about 3:00.
3:00? Where's she having lunch,
Connecticut?
She has to go to her doctor.
Can anybody else help us?
Nope.
Do you know we could charge you
with obstruction?
Would it get me off work?
Nobody's allowed in here.
Let's go, smart mouth.
I can't start going through
all that information.
I'm on my break in 10 minutes.
Well, then you've got 10 minutes
to find it. Go.
CAGNEY: The guy's got buildings
in everybody's name but his own.
In his wife's, his son's.
Anyway, the bottom line is,
the hotel and the apartment house
where the two people died
are both owned by one man.
A Leonard F. Nolan.
We found
over 300 outstanding housing violations
and $43,000 in unpaid fines.
So, what does the guy do? Walk?
He hires a P.R. firm and a good lawyer.
He's never made any of his court dates.
In the meantime,
he's just destroying his own buildings.
Co-op conversions?
- Yeah.
- Seems to be.
He's got a lot of ways
of forcing tenants out.
Broken mailboxes, withholding heat,
etcetera, etcetera.
Yeah. They move,
he claims lack of occupancy.
He turns them into co-ops
and he makes a fortune.
So, where is this crumb?
LACEY: The Bahamas, sir.
That's what the P.R. man said.
Get on a plane, go down to the Bahamas
and bring him back.
Just kidding.
- I knew it.
- How could you tell?
Listen, Victor. If you don't want it,
I'll just take it back. It's okay.
- Want what?
- The picture I gave you the other day.
Oh, Marvin Oszelewski?
Lauren. My daughter, Lauren.
Oh, your daughter, Lauren. Yeah.
I was just...
I was just gonna have that...
- I was gonna have that framed.
- You don't have to do that.
It's amazing, but she's already changed
since we took that picture.
I've got two more rolls
developing right now.
That's great.
(PHONE RINGS)
Paul La Guardia. 14th Squad.
Oh, yes. Yes, I'll get her for you.
Just hold on.
Lacey. For you, on three.
Detective Lacey. Yes, Mrs. Skimmins.
Thank you so much for coming.
I didn't know who else to call.
I've kept the oven on,
but still it's 49 degrees in here.
May I use your telephone,
please, Mrs. Skimmins?
Certainly.
And the electricity went off
again last night.
Now, fortunately, I didn't have
too much in the freezer, but...
Does this happen a lot?
Oh, all the time,
and it's mostly senior citizens living here,
like Mr. Poulianakis.
Mr. Poulianakis. Is that the gentleman
I met the other day in the hall?
Yes. Now, I am really
very concerned about him.
What's the problem?
Every Tuesday, we go to the public library.
But yesterday, I knocked on his door
and he didn't answer.
I called. The phone rings,
but he doesn't answer that either.
- Does he have a wife?
- No, his wife died.
Mr. Robbins, this is Detective Lacey,
14th Squad.
- So, I think he's just alone in there.
- We need some help here
- at 146, East 23rd Street.
- I'm really very worried about him.
I think something
must have happened to him.
Could you show us his apartment, please?
Well, whatever you could do, sir.
I know that my Lieutenant
would be very grateful.
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
- They're checking into an emergency crew.
- Bless you.
- Mary Beth.
- Mr. Poulianakis' room is right over here.
What?
Mr. Poulianakis!
We're the police. We'd like to help you.
Are you inside?
It's not like him at all.
- He's in there.
- Yeah, he is.
- Where's your fire hose?
- Right here.
Sir? We're coming, just hang on!
It's Detective Lacey from the other day,
and just... We're coming, all right?
- Okay. Okay.
- Back up. Back up.
Mrs. Skimmins, just hold this
and stand clear, all right?
Please get back there. Yeah.
Sir, we're gonna break your door in now,
so just don't be afraid!
Mary Beth, would you back up already!
Give me one more hit.
- Oh, my God.
- CAGNEY: Good Lord, it's freezing in here.
Oh, you don't know what they did to me.
Hoodlums. It was snowing outside,
you know.
- My wife with the baby.
- He's dehydrated.
Mrs. Skimmins, will you get
as many blankets as you can find, please?
Please. I need drink.
It's all right, Mr. Poulianakis. You'll be fine.
- Mary Beth, he's so cold.
- Just easy, now, easy.
Who did this to you? Who were they?
I could not go nowheres. I could not call.
He took my walker.
They took his walker.
CAGNEY: Get an ambulance over to 149,
East 23rd Street, apartment 504.
(PHONE RINGS)
- Hello.
- DORIAN: Did I wake you up?
Hi.
No, you didn't wake me up.
Why do I always say that when people
call me in the middle of the night?
Of course, you woke me up.
I just wanted to ask you a question.
- CAGNEY: Ask.
- Are you alone?
Hold on a minute. I'll put him on.
Harry, come here, sweetheart.
You're really cooking
for 2:00 in the morning.
Yeah, so are you.
What's the sudden paranoia?
No, no, no, no, I just...
I just didn't want you to forget about me.
Dory,
you got nothing to worry about, okay?
- Where are you?
- I'm in the corner... I'm in a... I...
I'm in a phone booth
on the corner of 23rd and Lex.
- I'm freezing my buns off, by the way.
- Why?
I couldn't sleep
and it's the first of the month
and there's a chance that Nolan's thugs
may come around to collect the rent
and maybe bust up the boiler again.
You're really onto this guy, aren't you?
It's no big deal.
I don't like the idea of you being
out there all by yourself.
Yeah. That's what my ex-wife used to say.
And she didn't even know
the half of it. Right?
Listen.
Why don't you come over here
and be with me?
I'm all right, sweetheart, really.
Why don't you go back to sleep? I...
I just get a little crazy sometimes.
That's okay.
All right. I'll talk to you later.
Bye.
- Good night.
- Harry, come here!
Mr. Nolan's on vacation in Honolulu.
We heard the Bahamas.
I should know where he is. I'm his mother.
Well, then you know about his buildings.
He talks to me sometimes.
Here I just answer the phone.
Did you know that two of your son's
tenants died the past 10 days,
and the third, he's in the hospital
in grave condition?
Lots of people drop dead
every day in this city.
A Mr. Meyer Riesman,
a Mrs. Jane Harrington.
They give you any particular problem?
I could look up and see
if they've been paying their rents.
Please do.
These tenants today.
It's not like years ago.
They bring cockroaches,
let their kids make noise in the halls.
Both of these people
were elderly and lived alone.
Now those, I feel sorry for.
They're the victims.
I got nothing out of the ordinary
on those names.
Isn't this a dangerous job for you girls?
Let's get out a warrant for Nolan.
I'd love to, but for what? A chat?
We've gotta come up
with something better than that.
How about criminal rottenness?
Look, I'm not gonna go back with you.
I gotta go home and change.
- For what?
- I've got a date.
- Someplace nice?
- He said he'd take me out to dinner.
Lucky you.
- I love this job.
- Oh, you really do, don't you?
- Look at us, fighting the bad guys.
- That's what it's all about.
Yeah. That and getting promoted.
Don't worry about that.
You got what's called the right stuff,
just like I do.
I'm so glad you think so.
Samuels respects your work.
So do I.
Thank you.
Do you have a tissue or something?
Yeah. In my coat, in the back.
You know how long I've been in this car?
It's going on 65 hours.
- This keeps you awake?
- Yeah. It's a lot like caffeine.
But a lot more fun than coffee.
Hey, frankly, I think
that cocaine's overrated,
I mean, the way I use it.
It's really very subtle.
I mean, do I look like a raving maniac
or a record producer to you?
It's turning you into a record producer?
Now, I'm really worried.
Are you? I mean,
it's no big deal unless you abuse it.
Which you don't.
What, do you think I'm a doofus, huh?
It just makes you concentrate. I mean,
it makes your mind more alert, you know?
At least, you think so, huh?
Come on, baby.
This is it.
- Hold it. Hold it, police! Hold it.
- Hold it right there.
Go, go.
- Get to the car and call for backup.
- All right.
This is detective car 872.
(SIRENS BLARING)
Stop, or I'll blow your heads off!
Freeze! Out! Keep your hands up.
Against the car.
- MAN: All right.
- Spread! Spread!
- All right, man.
- Further!
- Out of the car, kid! Move it!
- Out of the car!
Close that door!
Spread! Spread your legs! Out!
Who paid you to bust up that boiler?
You have the right to remain silent.
Nobody, it was our own idea.
- Where'd you get it?
- We got it from watching TV.
Watch your mouth, you're in deep
and it's gonna get deeper.
We gotta call our lawyer.
- You call him.
- Come on, man. Take it easy.
Frisk them and cuff them.
- Dory, you don't look so good.
- I'm fine, thank you.
That was absolutely nuts what you did.
But we got him, didn't we?
Hey, Tommy.
Hey.
Do yourselves a favor, give this guy up.
We know that Nolan paid you to do it.
Nobody paid us a cent.
Just your own natural creativity, right?
You must think an awful lot of Mr. Nolan
to protect him like this.
DORIAN: Oh, they don't think at all.
We ain't as stupid as you.
- You got two seconds...
- Dory, come on.
- Two seconds to apologize.
- Hey, Dory, come on.
Apologize, you stinking little punk.
- Come on, apologize!
- Dory, come on!
He apologizes.
This is Mr. Russell.
He represents Leonard Nolan.
Oh, yes. How is Mr. Nolan?
Still enjoying the sun in the Bahamas?
Or is it Hawaii?
My client called me this morning
and asked me to intercede.
Fine. These two were caught trespassing
and damaging a boiler.
Yes, but Mr. Nolan has decided
not to press charges.
Oh, smart cookie.
Mr. Nolan feels this act of vandalism
was performed
by two unfortunate victims of society
who, due to unemployment
and a lack of education,
had no alternative but to vent their anger
on someone else's property.
He wants to give them another chance.
He also doesn't want them
testifying against him.
So, can we go or what?
Well, Mr. Nolan is the complainant, right?
And if he doesn't want to press charges,
what have we got to hold them on?
- Resisting arrest.
- That'll do.
Good bye, Mr. Russell.
Dory's got a great idea.
We haul Nolan up
in front of the grand jury,
force him to explain why he will not
press charges against those punks,
and hopefully, he will perjure himself.
Is that a gutsy move?
Yeah. How're you gonna get him in?
Petrie and Isbecki are gonna do
a nail and serve.
Dory seems to be in kind of a bad mood.
You two still wanna come to dinner?
Oh, yeah. Oh, come on.
We're looking forward to it.
He may be a little hung over.
He did a little coke last night.
- Cocaine?
- Yeah.
Just a minute.
Well, he was up for 72 hours
on that stakeout.
Did he tell you that he was using cocaine?
After I got there, yeah.
I didn't hear any of this, Chris.
And you better not tell
anybody else, either.
Hey, I didn't say I was using it.
Mary Beth, look, he just uses it
for recreational purposes.
Christine, don't play dumb with me.
There's a reason
that that man is on drugs.
On drugs?
Come on, we're not talking heroin.
He's a sergeant.
You know the department's attitude.
He will be out of here
in a hot New York minute.
Yeah. Well, I'm not so sure
that there isn't more drug abuse going on
than the department would like
to know about frankly.
Aren't you the one
who was ready to write off her father
because he took payoffs
on his beat 30 years ago?
And all of a sudden, it's okay with you
that cops who are supposed
to uphold the law are taking illegal drugs.
I didn't say that.
Oh, I see. Dory's the exception.
How come you're being so hard on me?
If you were ever caught in a car
with him with that stuff,
they could have you
for presumed possession, you know that.
I hope you use your head about this.
I'm really sorry I ever mentioned it at all.
So am I.
Think Mr. Nolan'll miss this warrant?
It's a pretty nice neighborhood
for a scuzzball.
Yeah. It's a great place for children.
Claudia says that when you give Lauren
a rattle now, she looks up and smiles.
I'm sorry if I'm boring you.
No. I love kids. I told you that.
I might not love hearing about them
all the time, that's all.
It's lousy working all day, not being there
while your child's growing up.
Lauren does all these terrific things
and I hear them second hand from Claudia.
You know, I get up at 5:00 in the morning
just to play with my baby.
I never knew fathers could feel that way.
I'll shut up.
That's okay.
You must get tired of hearing me
talk about whatever I talk about.
Yourself.
Yeah, but who could blame me?
The kids made dessert.
Is that why there's a bite missing?
I tell you, no. There were
two guys from my high school
that made it to the pro ranks
and I know that there was one from yours.
You don't remember his name?
He was a defensive line. He played...
Chicken smells great, hon.
Well, I hope so. Are you guys hungry?
Yeah, I'm utterly starving.
Oh, well, then we'll speed it up here.
Hey, Mary Beth, please take it easy.
I mean it's only us slobs.
- Hey, speak for yourself.
- I beg your pardon.
Why don't you relax? I mean you've been
on your feet all day. Have a drink.
- I mean, this'll take care of itself.
- This? How?
- I'll do it.
- Yeah, yeah. We'll do it. You girls sit down.
- All right? All right?
- What?
Why don't you put your feet up
on the chair?
- Very nice.
- Take your shoes off. Here we go.
- Is that the way he treats you?
- This is the way I treat him.
Hey, Harvey, where's the john?
- Through there on the right.
- All right. Excuse me.
Isn't that beautiful?
Hey, I think you've got yourself
a real swell fellow there, Christine.
Yeah.
- He's sweet, isn't he?
- HARVEY: Oh, yeah. Now what is sweet?
Sweet is going to the drugstore
for tampons when you've got cramps.
Oh, what a thing to say.
- Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I do that.
- Do you?
- Yeah.
- Well, you're sweet, too.
I would say so.
You should see
the three of us working together.
I mean, it's embarrassing.
You try and pick up a bad guy, right,
the two of them are holding hands.
This is not true. The woman opens
her face, lies pour out. It is not true.
Hey, it's gonna be a while, Dory.
This ought to hold you.
Oh, no thanks. Not for me.
- I thought you were starving.
- Oh, did I say that?
No, really, I can wait.
But, look, let me make the dressing, huh?
Do I do great things with garlic.
You got any fresh?
And, also, I need some oregano.
- Hey, you got a cold?
- Oregano's right over here.
No, no, it's just the steam heat, you know.
It dries me out.
You are going to love this.
- Wait a minute. Park it over there.
- Yeah, sure.
You should keep a pot of water
on the radiator.
Yeah, pots. Look, I got pots
all over the apartment, you know.
Then I look around,
I got nothing to cook with.
The whole trick of these little devils is...
Honey, you want me
to help you set the table?
Yes. Excuse us, huh?
Now, how're you doing, baby?
Yeah.
Now, the whole trick of this is
to just try to get the little garlics out
without wounding them.
It's a little, tiny, delicate operation
that must be performed here,
which I learned in the Catskill Mountains
from a friend of mine.
His name was Larry.
LACEY: Honey, I can't...
HARVEY: Hey!
I know what that guy was doing
in this bathroom and so do you.
So what's the story, huh?
Honey, I didn't know
he was gonna do it here.
You mean, he takes that stuff
while he works?
- I don't know for sure.
- Oh, you don't know for sure.
You mean, he only does it here
in our house,
with the kids asleep in the next room.
I did coke before I met you, Chris,
long before,
so don't take it so damn personally.
Well, how can you just toot up like that
in Mary Beth's house?
I told you how she felt about it.
It's like peanuts.
If it's there, it's hard to resist.
- Well, can't you stop?
- I never thought about it.
How much do you take anyway?
I don't know, maybe a quarter, maybe
a half. It's nothing I can't handle.
Oh, sure, but enough that you gotta have
Valium to come down from it.
Why do you need it?
I don't need it.
I just don't like to be without it, that's all.
I thought you were so much in control.
That's because you're so much in control.
I know the pressure you feel
to be the perfect woman cop.
- You gotta perform, right?
- Pretty close.
Yeah.
Well, for an unfeeling coke-head,
I've got your number, don't I?
Yeah, maybe. Sometimes.
So, what, coke makes you numb, huh?
I mean, your mind works faster,
but, emotionally, you feel nothing.
Yeah, it's an anesthetic. It cools you out.
You really want it to be like that,
don't you?
Even between us.
Like what?
Cold. Clean as ice.
I can't tell her what to do.
She cares very much for him.
I care very much for you.
I do not want you working with this guy.
His judgment is obviously off
and it makes me wonder about Chris, too.
- Honey, I can't set my own...
- Hey, this is not a discussion.
Get your priorities straight, huh?
- Honey...
- End of subject.
I'm sorry, Harv.
Where's Sergeant McKenna?
His line's been busy all morning.
- Well, try him at home.
- That's where I have been trying.
Oh, okay. Well, let's go without him.
Our lawyer says he'll have us
out of here by tomorrow.
- I wouldn't pack my bags.
- Both of youse have priors.
So, what else is new?
Hey, you punk, you ever heard
of the persistent felon program?
Two felonies and you qualify.
And the current sentence
is a minimum of 25 years to life.
I only have one felony conviction.
You can look that up on my record.
We already have done that, Mr. Nunzio,
and you're quite right.
But you did break that boiler
over at 149, East 23rd Street.
We didn't hurt it.
You did at least $250 of damages,
wouldn't you say, Detective Cagney?
Oh, at least. Yeah.
So that's at least a Class E felony.
This is police brutality.
I think you guys ought to call
your lawyer again.
Either that or you got another choice.
- You tell us about Nolan.
- What about him?
Did he pay you to vandalize his property?
To terrorize his tenants?
Or would you rather
take the fall for murder?
Nolan paid us 50 bucks.
For what?
To hurt the old man, take his walker?
What old man? We never hurt nobody.
Whatever went down,
Nolan did that himself.
He said he was better with people.
So we just did some little jobs for him,
that's it.
I'm gonna go pick up Dory...
Sergeant McKenna.
If Mary Beth calls, would you tell her
to meet me at the Nolan house?
SAMUELS: Well, take backup.
Wasn't Isbecki and Petrie on the case?
LA GUARDIA: They're over
on the sweater factory arson.
Yeah, there are three of us. It's okay.
La Guardia, can I use your car?
I've never met Mr. Nolan.
I've never even seen him.
Now you tell me he's carrying a shotgun.
That's the way
Mr. Poulianakis described him.
I'm alone here. I really can't get involved.
Mrs. Skimmins, we can protect you.
I've never seen anything
out of the ordinary.
I really must be going.
Mr. Poulianakis is getting out
of the hospital today.
That's good. Thank you. The heat still on?
Yes, thank you. It is.
(PHONE RINGS)
La Guardia. Detectives. 14th Squad.
No, she's just left.
She went to Nolan's?
Yeah. Give me the address.
Don't tell me
we finally got something on him.
I suggest you drop the gun, sir.
'Cause he's...
Chris, just...
Chris!
I've got him. Go around the other way.
(EXCLAIMS)
- What're you doing?
- Leave him alone.
Why? Who was he? Did I make a mistake?
No, no, you did the right thing.
- But he was holding a gun on you.
- Look, it was all right.
I'm sorry.
I thought he was one of Nolan's men.
No, it's just somebody I owe money to.
No.
No.
Somebody could have gotten hurt
out there, Dory.
An innocent bystander. Anybody.
Would you take it easy? It was just
bad luck you came along when you did.
Damn it.
I can't take this anymore.
(EXCLAIMS)
You know what'd have happened
if he'd have found out I was a cop?
Damn you!
This is detective car 12,
have you got a message for me
from Detectives Cagney or McKenna?
Are they on their way?
WOMAN ON RADIO: No message, car 12.
Do you require backup?
Negative.
I think.
- Leonard F. Nolan?
- Who wants to know?
Detective Lacey, 14th. How are you, sir?
I've been better. How are you?
Fine. We posted a warrant on your door
the other day. Did you see that?
- I tore it up.
- Did you? Oh, that's disrespectful, sir.
That costs the taxpayers' money
to send two detectives out here...
Lady, I got so many warrants and fines
and who knows what else,
I could plaster a room.
- That's harassment, that's what it is.
- Oh, no, sir.
I've been dealing
with the city of New York 12 years.
No, this warrant isn't about your property,
sir. It concerns a homicide investigation.
Oh, then you definitely got the wrong guy.
I'm not here to pass judgment.
I don't know whether I got the right guy
or not. I'm just doing my job.
So?
Can I give you some advice?
Come down to the precinct,
straighten the whole thing out.
- You got a lawyer?
- Of course, I got a lawyer.
Well, then, no problem, no sweat.
You call him. He'll take care of it, I'm sure.
I mean, that's what lawyers get paid for,
isn't it?
I gotta be somewhere.
Mr. Nolan, you know
how these things drag on and on.
Let's get it over with, huh?
You got to, sooner or later.
Come on, I'll drive.
Isn't this a nice house?
We live in an apartment.
It's so nice having all this room, isn't it?
But it's a big commute into the city.
It must get bad in sloppy weather, huh?
You could take the train, I guess.
Oh, watch your step here.
We would have a private home
if we could afford it.
But the interest rates have been
so crazy recently.
I mean, we just never have the price
for a down payment.
I lived in an apartment all my life.
All my life.
To tell you the truth, I don't know
what I'd do with all this room.
Sit down.
I got a girlfriend. Believe it or not,
she won't go 15 miles outside the city
'cause she says she can't stand
the silence, would you believe that?
Listen. Could you help me
going out of here,
'cause I got a little confused on the roads?
Put that in the back and put
your seatbelt on. I don't want to lose you.
You have no evidence against my client.
We have statements
signed by two young men
who were hired by Mr. Nolan
to willfully damage his property.
Who?
Those two lousy punks? Street hustlers?
You're going to believe them?
Punks, huh? That's funny. Last time
you called them victims of society.
Isn't that right, Mr. Nolan?
- Let me just recap this...
- Mr. Poulianakis...
Christine.
Mr. Poulianakis, do you know
who that man is?
- Just take your time, sir.
- Would you please...
Is he the one that you described to us?
Yes. He is the one who took my walker.
- Are you sure?
- Don't push.
I'm sure.
Okay, and you're willing to testify?
Mrs. Lacey already explained that to me.
Well, I just wanted you to understand...
He understands.
MR. POULIANAKIS: I hope you
lock him away good.
Well, murder, attempted murder,
reckless endangerment.
Don't worry. He's in a lot of trouble.
Thank you for your help, Mrs. Skimmins.
Now, he's going to say
something perfectly awful in Greek.
(SPEAKING IN GREEK)
Good for you.
Dory!
She's furious with me and she's right.
We blew the collar.
We weren't there for backup.
Sure she's right.
We both acted like a couple of jerks.
- We?
- Sweetheart,
you walked into a situation with me
in the car that you did not understand.
And you blew it entirely out of proportion.
Really, I had it under control.
Control? Who are you kidding?
Dory, when's this gonna stop?
What are you gonna do, change my life?
But you're hooked or dependant
or whatever it is you call it.
Chris, without cocaine,
I couldn't do what I do, okay?
I couldn't work as long.
I couldn't work as hard.
It makes me a better cop.
If you really believe that, Dory,
you need help.
For me, it just gives me
a little push, okay?
If you don't get help,
I'm gonna turn you in.
Wait, wait. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Think about what you're saying.
And who you're saying it to.
It's like holding a loaded gun to my belly.
I don't want to be the one holding the gun.
I don't!
Then don't. Leave it alone.
I'm gonna turn you in.
I'm not worth all this to you.
If I had nothing else to do
with the rest of my life,
I'd try to convince you
just how worthy you are.
But as it turns out,
I got a couple of things pending.
(CRYING)
Christine.
I was wondering
if we got the new towels in.
Towels? I don't know.
Yeah. We were out
and I ordered some that were softer.
I've been meaning to bring
some hand lotion from home.
Yeah, the weather's...
It's really hard on your hands.
I know.
This should really break their heart
and paint this place.
Well, maybe one weekend,
we'll come in, we'll paint it.
Maybe not.
Come here.