Cagney & Lacey (1981–1988): Season 2, Episode 16 - Date Rape - full transcript
A date rape investigation divides Chris, who feels the victim brought it on herself, and Mary Beth, who doesn't believe that philosophy. Chris feels honored for the girls to be let in on the male officers' practical jokes.
There is nothing significant
about a skinny, young girl
taking her clothes off
in front of a lot of strangers.
You think this is garbage?
Wait till you see
what a defense attorney would do to you.
You heard any good rape jokes lately?
Was it something that I'd done?
Had I led him on?
I'm not wasting time feeling guilty,
Mary Beth.
I'm gonna nail him.
So how come when Rhett Butler
throws Scarlett down on the bed,
that's romance,
but when some poor slob does it,
that's rape?
If you don't know the difference
between rape and romance,
then you've got a serious problem.
MAN: Mercy!
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(TYPEWRITER CLACKING)
MAN:...birthday.
(PEOPLE HOOTING)
(PEOPLE WHISTLING)
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
(ALL CHEERING)
Hey, guys.
MAN: Mercy!
Why don't you ask her out on a date,
you old dog, you?
I think she can teach you
a few new tricks, La Guardia.
Hey, at your age,
you probably forgot what to do, right?
Listen, I may be a year older,
but I'm not dead yet.
Hey, listen, if you ever need
a refresher course, come talk to me.
They don't call me the professor of love
for nothing.
Oh, yeah, like they say,
BOTH: "Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach."
You left early, you missed the best part.
- Well, it makes me uncomfortable.
- Really, why?
Oh, come on, Mary Beth, it's all in fun.
She wasn't upset by it.
Why should you be?
Besides, I think you're missing something
very significant.
I'm sorry, Christine,
but there is nothing significant
about a skinny, young girl
taking her clothes off
in front of a lot of strangers.
That's sad and degrading
and not something I want to be a part of.
She didn't find it degrading, Mary Beth.
Don't you see? A year ago
they wouldn't have invited us to anything,
much less a striptease. Today they did.
I don't even think they realize it,
but they're finally accepting us
as one of them.
Never one of my major goals, Christine.
Got a request for a lady cop.
You two know any?
Two.
Yeah, well,
the victim's in the interview room.
Carole Mitchell, age 32, a little bit hostile,
insists on speaking only to a female cop.
There you go.
Sit down.
Please.
Well, you two seem human enough.
- I beg your pardon?
- I'm begging your pardon.
I don't want to start off on the wrong foot,
but, you know,
- this is hard for me to talk about.
- We understand, believe me.
Why don't you sit down,
take a deep breath
and just start at the beginning?
All right.
(CLEARING THROAT)
I was raped.
I'm sorry.
Can you tell us where it happened?
- In my apartment.
- He broke in?
No, I was... I was...
- You let him in?
- I was on a date with him.
LACEY: Oh.
(SCOFFS)
How did I know that you would say, "Oh"?
- I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it.
- It's okay. You know, it gets worse.
I met him at a singles bar,
had a drink with him.
In fact, I even ordered the second round.
Then we went back to my apartment,
we had another drink.
I even let the guy kiss me.
What do you two ladies think about that?
We don't think anything.
LACEY: Can you tell us
what happened then?
He wanted to go to bed.
Only, I don't know...
There was just something weird about...
You know, the guy was creepy.
And I mean, I told him no.
I said, you know...
I asked him to leave and he just got crazy.
- How do you mean crazy?
- He started shouting and screaming.
He comes up with this old story,
you know,
"You can't say no to me
after you got me all worked up like this."
And then he just beat...
Just beat me up very badly.
Then he raped me.
- He beat you?
- My face, my arms, my neck.
- It's all faded now.
- How long ago did this happen?
CAROLE: Two weeks.
- Why did you wait so long to report it?
- Why?
Because I heard how insensitive cops are.
That's why. This is not my favorite thing
to do, you know?
- We understand that, Miss Mitchell.
- I mean, I tried.
At first, I told myself the best thing to do
is just try and forget about it.
- And now?
- The guy called me again yesterday.
Asked me out again
like nothing had happened,
and when I told him to leave me alone,
he starts screaming like before.
I mean, this man is a lunatic,
and I'm scared.
He's gonna hurt me again, I know it.
Can you stop him? Can you arrest him?
Yes, ma'am. If you will sign a complaint.
His name is Ed Ravenswood. He told me
he sings at the New World City Opera.
He said he's a baritone. He told me that.
Hey, what did she want?
Come on, I've got a bet with Isbecki.
I say it was rape.
He says non-support or battered wife.
Can I see that?
- Well, what kind of case is it?
- She was raped.
I'm gonna run his name through BCI.
- She knows his name?
- Well, she was on a date with him.
Picked him up at a bar and took him home.
You know what this smells like to me?
A one-night stand that never called back.
Sure, chick gets upset,
turns him in to the cops to get revenge.
Classic "woman scorned" and all that.
Paul, the woman was raped.
Read your penal code.
Sexual intercourse without consent.
Hey, don't be so literal.
What do you think us guys are,
mind readers or something?
CAGNEY: What do you mean?
Women always say no,
sometimes they mean yes.
Usually they mean maybe. Am I wrong?
I think you're over-generalizing.
I think the man knows
what he's talking about, all right?
You know who Thelma's favorite hero
of all time is?
Rhett Butler. "So romantic," she said.
So how come when Rhett Butler
throws Scarlett down on the bed,
that's romance,
but when some poor slob does it,
that's rape?
With respect, sir,
if you don't know the difference
between rape and romance,
then you've got a serious problem.
It's that time of the month or what?
Two camels, one elephant
and sufficiency of the usual chazerei.
Well, on the 30th then.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(SPEAKING ITALIAN)
(SPEAKING JAPANESE)
And all that jazz.
We're doing Aida. Mucho boring.
The hoi polloi eat it up.
(EXCLAIMS)
Anyway,
sorry to keep you hanging, Officer.
Detective Lacey.
I'm investigating a rape charge.
Our favorite diva
is molesting the tenors again?
Or knowing her tastes, perhaps,
something a bit more outré?
Mr. Richards,
I'm sorry if you find this funny. I do not.
A young woman was raped
by one of your performers.
- The man's name is Ed Ravenswood.
- Ed Ravenswood?
My dear,
Ed Ravenswood does not work here,
has never worked here.
But I do know where you can find him.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(OFFICERS CHA TTERING ON RADIO)
How do you like the cologne?
On someone else.
Sorry, Victor, you set me up. Wait.
What about basses and tenors?
Okay, thanks for your help.
He's not a member of
any of the performers' unions.
Skip it, forget it.
What, they never heard of him
at the City Opera?
No, they've heard of him,
full name Edgar Ravenswood.
- So he sings there?
- No, they sing him there.
He's the hero of some opera.
It's Lucia di Lammermoor.
He's a married guy, he has to be.
All married men on the make use an alias.
- Isn't that right, Petrie?
- Don't look at me. I wouldn't know.
- Just being hypothetical.
- Well, it's not at all unreasonable
in light of the new Canfield report
on male sexuality.
This is a flakey case.
You still think
you have a crime here, Christine?
I don't know. I haven't heard him sing yet.
Would you knock it off?
Okay?
I'm going home. I'll see you tomorrow.
Excuse me.
Mary Beth.
A woman has been hurt out there,
or maybe you're so busy yukking it up
with the guys that you forgot about that.
- No, I remember.
- Well, I was beginning to wonder.
- Is it possible you could lighten up a little?
- Yeah, sure.
You heard any good rape jokes lately?
Mary Beth, please.
I know people get hurt every day.
Some of the stuff we see, if we took it in
without some kind of a filter,
I think it would just make us a little crazy.
So, sometimes I laugh. That's what I do.
- Well, there's things I don't laugh.
- And that's fine.
That's my way, that's what I do. Okay?
I don't know. I'll think it over.
- Have you got any hand lotion?
- Yeah.
Ladies, La Guardia's niece is here.
You are not gonna wanna miss this.
- La Guardia's niece?
- Oh, yeah.
- That's the stuff that works, right?
- Yeah.
- Never fails?
- No, never fails. Not at all.
- You serious?
- Yeah.
What do you think, ladies, huh?
Is this man irresistible
to the female gender?
What? You got a date?
Yeah, La Guardia traded me three night
shifts if I'd show his niece around town.
Really looks good.
You know, Ronni is gonna love you.
You do, Isbecki, you look good.
Well, I hate blind dates.
Now, tell me again.
She's a very distant relative?
Victor, I promise you,
Ronni doesn't look anything like me.
Oh, no. Trust me, I have seen her.
RONNI: Uncle Paul?
Ronni.
- LA GUARDIA: You look lovely.
- Thank you.
- Mary Beth Lacey.
- Hello.
- LA GUARDIA: Chris Cagney.
- Hi, Ronni.
LA GUARDIA: Mark Petrie.
The Lieutenant, you know.
And this is Victor Isbecki.
How do you do, Victor? Uncle Paul
has told me so much about you.
It's really good meeting you, Ronni.
But he never mentioned
how good-looking you were.
You're pretty attractive yourself.
I can tell this is going to be
an evening to remember.
Me, too. Why not get out of here?
ISBECKI: I thought maybe
we'd start with some drinks.
- It's nice to have met you, Ronni.
- I hope you like French food.
- French is my favorite.
- Enjoy yourselves.
What?
- What?
- Did you see the look on his face?
The man is in love.
Either that or he's in lust.
Well, she seemed
like a very nice girl to me.
You should see
his Raquel Welch impersonation.
What?
Ronni is Ronald.
He's a female impersonator.
LACEY: Yeah. I'll hold.
So, Victor, how was your date?
I'm gonna get you for this, La Guardia.
I promise.
Hey, don't be mad at me.
It was the Lieutenant's idea.
Samuels, huh?
Well, I guess I owe him one.
COLEMAN: So, when did you
find out, Isbecki?
I don't want to talk about it.
Come on, tell us. When'd you find out?
After dinner, he invited me home
to meet his wife and kids.
Yes, do you show a listing
of AGMA members by physical type?
Yeah, height and weight, age range,
coloring, all that.
Yes.
- A directory, yes. Yes, thank you.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- ALL: Good morning.
I just wanted to say, Isbecki,
that I think you and Ronni
make a perfectly beautiful couple.
Thanks, Cagney.
Actually, she reminded me a lot of you,
but I do think you make the better man.
- Good one, Isbecki.
- Thank you, Victor.
But really,
you give me way too much credit.
Around here
I don't have that much competition.
Oh, come on, Victor.
You're not really mad, are you?
- We were just kidding.
- Me? Why would I be mad?
Oops.
- Good morning, Mary Beth.
- Morning.
Can I talk to you?
- In the john.
- I'm waiting on a phone call here.
Okay.
- I went by Carole Mitchell's bar last night.
- And?
And the bartender doesn't remember
our Mr. Ravenswood.
- Isbecki, you wanna get out of here?
- Yeah, I'm just getting some coffee.
How long could it take?
Anyway, he doesn't remember...
What? You want to hear this?
Well, come on. How about all of you?
The bartender doesn't remember our guy,
but he does remember Carole Mitchell.
He said she goes into the bar a lot.
In fact, sometimes
she even takes a guy home with her.
What a surprise.
And here I was thinking
she was a vestal virgin.
We called them round heels
when I was in high school.
Every school had one.
We had one with big legs
and a moustache.
COLEMAN: So what?
All cats are gray in the dark.
Thank you, gentlemen,
for the view from the gutter.
- Excuse me.
- See?
That's why I wanted to talk to you
in the bathroom.
Sensitive of you, Christine.
That's perfect, right there.
You got it. You got it.
Tell the truth, Harv.
You think I'm making a big deal?
No, I understand why you're upset.
I mean, the guys,
they all sound like a bunch of jerks.
Yeah. And Christine?
- You do. You think I'm making a big deal.
- Come on. I mean, a little humor.
Maybe it's not in the best of taste,
but it cuts the tension.
- How does it hurt anybody?
- I don't know.
It's like it makes us all less...
Less to each other.
Maybe you have to be sometimes, huh?
It's a tough job you got.
Now see, you're saying exactly
the same thing that Christine said to me.
So, maybe she's got a point.
Why don't you just call it
a difference of opinion and live with it?
I don't know, Harv, because I can't...
- I have to say what I believe in, don't I?
- Sure.
I can't just bite my tongue
if something bothers me.
That's okay, but just don't make
everybody else the bad guy
because they don't see everything
exactly the way you do.
Harv, how come every time I ask you
to tell the truth, you tell the truth?
You never take my side.
Okay, okay. From now on
I'm just gonna take your side.
- Fine.
- All right.
- I'll take this side, right here.
- Cut it out, Harv.
And then I'm gonna take this side.
I told you a thousand times,
don't tickle me if you don't mean it.
Oh, I mean it. I mean it.
Croissants.
Oh, from Michel's.
- I'm sorry if I've been a pain.
- It's no big deal.
- You want some of these?
- No, I got donuts from Mel's.
Well, today is the day. It's all set up.
What?
I completely forgot.
I've got appointments all afternoon.
You find a way. We're all counting on you.
Excuse me, sir.
Lieutenant Berwick's office called.
They want to meet with you.
He suggested lunch at Luigi's, 12:30.
Internal Affairs.
What did I do to deserve this?
- What do you got there, Cagney?
- Croissants.
- Jelly donut?
- Yeah, give me one of those.
Thanks. Jeez.
- They're sticky.
- Why don't you get some fresh ones?
Okay, 12:45. Do not forget.
What is going on?
May I see you in the conference room?
Isbecki's getting back at Samuels
for the Ronni joke.
- How's that?
- The Berwick thing, it's all a setup.
I'm supposed to call the restaurant,
leave a message
that the meeting has been canceled.
That's kind of a dumb joke.
Yeah, except that Isbecki has a lady
who's gonna put some moves
on the Lieutenant while he's waiting.
A lady, you mean an actress?
You mean a hooker.
CAGNEY: She doesn't look like a hooker.
I mean, this is a great morale builder
for the Lieutenant.
He'll really think he's hot stuff.
You're upset again.
- It's a practical joke to pay him back.
- I get the picture.
I mean, nothing's gonna happen.
The Lieutenant can spot a hooker
a mile away.
- He'll get a kick out of it.
- Sure.
- MAN: Lacey. Telephone.
- Yeah.
LACEY: Okay, we're on our way.
The 53rd has got a guy in custody
confessing to a whole string of rapes.
- Come on.
- Do you think...
Do you think
he's involved with Carole Mitchell?
Do I know? Let's go find out.
- Is something the matter?
- No.
No, it's okay. Let's go check it out.
I'll let you have Parker's mug shots
to show your victim,
but I don't think he's your boy.
The physical description
sounded pretty close.
Yeah, but not the M.O.
Parker likes to do it in alleys, you know.
He likes to humiliate his victims.
Oh, I see.
As opposed to raping them in their
own homes, which is not humiliating.
Well, excuse me. I thought you were a cop,
not some Gloria Steinem.
- Hey, can I use your phone?
- Yeah, go ahead.
Yeah. Hi. Would you page
Lieutenant Samuels for me, please?
No, I just wanna leave a message.
Yeah, would you tell him
the meeting has been canceled?
No reschedule,
the matter has been resolved.
Yeah, that's it. Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
We're gonna be seeing the victim
late this afternoon,
so we'll see what she makes of it.
- Thank you.
- Regards to the wife.
- Why?
- I want to ask the Lieutenant his opinion.
No, what you want is for him
to tell us to get off this case.
What is with you?
I want to run it by him, okay?
Look, if you're going in there,
find out what you can, okay?
What are you talking about?
Look, he just came back
from the restaurant whistling.
- All right, fine.
- The theme from Gone with the Wind.
Good.
So, Mary Beth,
you want to listen to this or not?
All right, as long as you don't go
in there and poison the well.
(WHISTLING)
Excuse me, Lieutenant.
Could we talk to you for a minute?
We need your opinion about a case.
- Hey, I must be living right.
- Sir?
Well, first of all I meet this very charming
young lady in a restaurant,
then I dodge a bullet from IAD,
and finally my two favorite detectives
are asking for my opinion.
- Go ahead, sit down, sit down.
- Thank you.
- It's about Carole Mitchell.
- Oh, yeah, the date rape.
- Yes, sir.
- I think we're up against a dead end.
What we're trying to figure out
is what we should do next, sir.
Well, you want my advice?
Don't knock yourselves out.
Sir?
Well, even assuming, for argument's sake,
that you got a case here,
it's a waste of time looking for the perp.
There is no conviction percentage.
No jury is gonna buy a woman
going out on a date with a guy
and then hollering, "Rape."
I think that some juries might, sir.
What about a jury of her peers?
You mean women?
Oh, be realistic, will you, Lacey?
In my experience,
women are even harder than men.
- Anything else?
- No, sir.
If you don't get a lead on this pretty quick,
I'm gonna want you
to put it on the backburner.
Because you got other more pressing
things you could be pursuing.
You got it?
- I did not influence him.
- No.
I just wanted to check some things out.
To be honest with you, I wanted
to find out how far off base I was.
Hey, Chris, you don't believe her?
You don't think that it was rape?
Hey!
Mary Beth, listen to me.
This is not something
that I could say in front of the guys.
I go out a lot. You know that.
I also say no a lot.
Oh, yeah? Well, my goodness.
The point is, when I say no,
they get that I mean no.
Chris, I can't believe that you said that.
- What did I say?
- What? Since you've never been raped,
that means that Carole Mitchell
could not possibly have been raped, either.
That isn't what I meant. You know it.
Well, you've never been murdered, okay.
So I can show you
several hundred people every year
who are not so lucky.
Please. Mary Beth,
I'm not gonna fight with you.
All right, we will take these pictures
over to Carole Mitchell.
We will see what she wants to do,
and then we will take it from there.
No. No, it's not this guy.
- You sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.
And he's never bothered you again?
Miss Mitchell, these are résumé photos
and publicity stills
from the New World City Opera Company.
You wanna look at them, please,
and call us as soon as you can?
And what if he isn't in here?
- Well, then we'll keep looking.
- Where?
To tell you the truth, the chances then
would be pretty slim that we'd find him.
- It breaks your heart, doesn't it?
- Look, I'm not gonna lie to you.
Even if we do find him,
we'll have a hell of a time convicting him.
(PHONE RINGING)
CAROLE: Hi there, leave a message.
I'm really looking forward
to talking to you.
MARTY: Hi, baby, it's Marty.
Last night was great.
Let's do it again, soon.
(GROANS)
Look at you two.
Standing there so busy judging me, huh?
- Because I pick up guys in a bar?
- No, ma'am.
Where else am I supposed
to meet someone?
You know, I work in an office
with three women.
What am I supposed to do?
Sit home and wait for Prince Charming
to come knocking at my door?
- I think that you could be more careful.
- No.
What you really think is that I'm a tramp
and I don't have the right to say no.
That's not true, Miss Mitchell.
I thought women cops would be different,
but, you know, they're not.
Just pigs in dresses.
- You wait just one damn minute here.
- We're trying to help you here.
Don't bother. I don't need this garbage.
Lady, you think this is garbage?
Wait till you see
what a defense attorney would do to you.
I'm not going to give him the chance, see.
I don't care.
Let's just drop the whole thing right here.
Let's just forget it.
Miss Mitchell, we want to find this man
as much as you do.
No, you don't.
Get out. Just leave me alone.
Go on. Get out.
- Go on.
- Ma'am.
That's one tough cookie.
You're right. She should be more careful.
Do you think that she was giving that guy
mixed signals before?
Whatever happened before
it seems to be over now.
She'll be okay.
Yeah.
So, we close it out.
Victim's unwilling to press charges.
Yeah.
Wouldn't screw up
our conviction record, either.
Right.
Closing out the date rape, huh?
Just like I said,
more date than rape, right?
No. She's leaving town. Traumatized.
- Why give him another cheap laugh.
- Right.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir, no donuts this morning.
Oh, that's all right. I'm on a diet.
Whatever you do, I hope you're not going
for that high-protein propaganda.
Lipid levels and triglycerides,
it's the worst.
Unrefined carbohydrates and vegetables,
that's the way to go.
You do look very nice this morning, sir.
You're very dressed up.
Oh, yeah?
Lois, that's the woman
that I met at the restaurant the other day,
we're going out together again tonight.
Oh.
Lacey, do you think she'd like the opera?
- The opera, sir?
- I don't like the opera much myself.
It's just that I thought
it would make a good impression.
So, you think you could call the guy
you're talking to over there at the opera
and get me some good seats?
Well, sir, I don't know that
that's a good idea, sir.
Oh, no, no. I don't mean that I want
any freebies or anything like that.
No, no. I'll pay whatever it takes.
It's just that I want to make sure
I get good seats.
I would appreciate it.
La Guardia, so, come on,
talk to me about the diet.
What do you think, I should cut out toast?
No, toast is fine. Cut out sugars and fats.
Sugar and fats.
Can you believe this?
He's taking a hooker to the opera.
As long as she doesn't charge by the act.
Guys, I don't think it's funny, all right.
I don't think this is funny at all.
I think the joke should be called off.
Sure, Mary Beth.
Do you wanna go in there
and tell the Lieutenant
that he's fallen for a prostitute?
- I think somebody should.
- COLEMAN: Not me.
PETRIE: Just a minute, please.
It's for you, Mary Beth. On two.
Thank you. Detective Lacey. One.
No.
Oh, my God.
(WOMAN CHA TTERING ON PA)
DOCTOR: Neighbor found her.
She's lucky she's alive.
CAGNEY: What's the prognosis?
You mean, will she survive?
I don't know. I think so.
Will she come out of the coma?
I don't know. I hope so.
- When? In her own good time.
- WOMAN: Doctor Sullivan, please call...
- That's the best you can do?
- Ain't medical science wonderful?
One last question, Doctor.
- Is there any sign of sexual assault?
- She was raped. No doubt about it.
- It was that same guy, Christine.
- I know it was the same guy.
- What is happening to us here?
- What do you mean?
The woman told us she was scared of him
and we didn't listen.
All we listened to
was the guys' smutty jokes.
And all we cared about
was our lousy conviction percentage.
You don't mean us. You mean me.
No, I mean us.
I mean, I let that nonsense get to me.
And it kept me from doing my job.
I'm not wasting time feeling guilty,
Mary Beth.
I'm gonna find that bastard,
and I'm gonna nail him.
- Do you want me to drive?
- No, I'm fine.
Cagney, can I see you, please, in here?
We're getting the file up
on Carole Mitchell,
and then we're going over
to her apartment.
- Good, good. I want you to find that scum.
- Yes, sir.
Close the door.
This is more of a personal kind of matter.
- Yes, sir.
- Go ahead. Sit down.
I didn't know how to ask one of the guys.
And I guess I thought that you would
know a lot about this kind of stuff.
It's something
that Lacey said about romance.
- The Rhett Butler thing.
- Oh, yes.
Yeah, well. Thelma was right.
Yeah, there should've been more romance.
I always thought there was,
but after a while, you know, it's...
(STUTTERING) Anyways, what I
really want is now for it to be better.
- Do you know what I mean?
- Sure.
I don't know why,
but I feel like such a klutz.
You know, you see, with Lois it's...
She's the first since Thelma and I...
And dating...
- Kids with pimples date.
- It's awkward, I know, dating.
(CLEARING THROAT)
There's so much has changed
since I was a kid going around with girls.
I mean, what? Candy?
Flowers?
Cagney, do you like that kind of stuff?
From the right guy.
When I was a kid, in my time,
you were lucky
if you got a kiss on a third date.
(CHUCKLES)
But last night...
Lois seemed interested in me and I...
(STAMMERING) But I was afraid.
I didn't know. You know, I wasn't sure.
You know, maybe it was too soon.
You know, I want it to be right this time.
Does this make any sense to you at all?
Sure.
Hey, this is stupid, huh?
Who do I think you are, a Dear Abby?
Well, okay, okay, then, thank you.
Thank you for listening
to this over-the-hill 15-year-old.
- Cagney.
- Yes, sir.
- Just forget everything that I said, okay?
- Yes, sir.
- He really likes her.
- Who?
- The Lieutenant.
- The hooker? You mean, a lot?
He wants me to tell him
how to get her to like him.
That poor man. That lonely man.
He's gonna be so hurt.
He's gonna be so humiliated
when he finds out.
LA GUARDIA: Ladies, I believe someone
ordered up a file.
We'll think of something.
Come on.
We gotta get to Carole Mitchell's place.
Don't hold your breath for prints.
Looks like he smudged them off
with a cloth.
- Did you dust this phone off?
- Yeah, I dusted it.
Okay, I'm gonna call in.
Chris.
There. By you. By you.
- Is this clean here?
- Yeah, it's clean.
(TAPE REWINDING)
EVEL YN: This is Evelyn. Can you come
in about a half an hour early tomorrow?
Phone me if you get in at a decent hour.
MAN: This is... Forget it.
I don't talk to machines.
(MAN SINGING)
We're about finished here.
You got anything for us?
- What's the address?
- Quiet.
Is that north or south of Bloom?
- I'll play it back.
- No, no. Wait, wait. Hold it.
- Yeah. Yeah, we...
- Quiet!
MAN: This is Ed Ravenswood again.
I wanna see you.
Give me a call at 373...
- Damn. 373.
- I got it.
CAROLE: This is Carole.
MAN: You're home.
- I want you to leave me alone.
- No, I don't think so.
CAROLE: I know who you are.
I have a picture of you.
- MAN: Sure.
- CAROLE: From the opera.
If you don't leave me alone,
I'll go to the police.
MAN: Oka y, Carole, you got it.
(DIAL TONE DRONING)
You guys, you seen like a cardboard box,
about like that
with a bunch of 8x10 glossies in it,
anywhere?
No, I didn't.
Chris, here we go.
Look at that.
I'm afraid I really wouldn't know his name.
He's a super.
Go shave.
What, the janitor?
A supernumerary.
They appear in crowd scenes
for $5 an hour.
I make it a rule not to know the name
of anyone who works for $5 an hour.
Well, don't you keep records or pictures?
Sure. They leave glossies and résumés.
Hope springs eternal.
Why didn't you give us those before?
My dear, in opera,
the rapist is usually a principal singer.
If I had known you were interested
in the ambiance...
Well, we are. He means extras.
- There's hundreds of them.
- Fine.
You are more than welcome to rummage
through the photos if you like.
In fact, it should be quite a little challenge
for you two, I would think.
Lead the way.
- Chris?
- No luck.
I can't believe all these people
want to be opera singers.
Christine, there's an elephant out there,
in the hallway.
Yeah, from Aida.
I slept through it twice with Barney.
Mary Beth.
It's my turn, okay.
Where's the ladies room?
It's around the corner past the camel.
- Which stack here?
- Go from here to there.
Christine. Chris!
Look here.
Bingo.
We're looking for this man.
And your name has been listed on the
back of this photo as his opera agent.
I haven't represented Taylor Bowen
for three years now.
Still, perhaps you can help us here.
You must have a file on him.
Probably not.
I had a fire in my old offices two years ago.
- Great.
- Now, I have a luncheon appointment.
So, if you'd...
I'm sorry,
but it's very important that we find him.
We have reason to believe that he raped
and brutally assaulted a woman.
Oh, my God.
I didn't mean to upset you like this.
You're the only lead that we have.
He attacked me, too. Three years ago.
He was a perfectly good singer,
but then, there are many,
many perfectly good singers.
I just couldn't get him work.
So in the end I felt sorry for him.
So I asked him out to dinner
to cheer him up a bit.
He called for me at my apartment.
We had a drink.
And then he made a pass at me.
And when I said no,
he went berserk.
He beat me up.
And raped me.
CAGNEY: Did you report this?
Well, I kept going over and over it
in my mind.
I mean, wondering,
was it something that I'd done?
Had I led him on?
Well, finally, it was just easier
to try and forget it
and pretend it never happened.
I...
I dropped him as a client.
And I never saw him again.
Oh, but that other woman...
And it's all my fault.
It's a lot of people's faults.
Yeah, Taylor Bowen's.
(SOBS)
We will find him.
Yeah, thanks anyway.
Taylor Bowen. The only address they show
for him is his agent Renata Myers.
Great. So where do we go from here?
Back to Carole Mitchell's bar.
- Lieutenant.
- Yeah.
- You're going out with Lois again?
- Yes. Yeah, yeah, I am.
You get any touch of those yet?
You can the wise guy stuff.
You're talking about a lady.
- You got it?
- I got it.
She's charging us full pop.
At the rate he's moving,
we ought to ask for a refund.
I didn't bargain for this.
It's costing a fortune.
I just want to see his face
when he finds out.
You gotta let him down easy.
- Tell him it's another guy.
- A husband.
- You were separated, but you made up.
- That's good.
In fact, you went back
for the sake of the kid.
Two kids.
And you are moving out of state.
- Jersey.
- Montana.
Montana is good.
- You got that?
- Husband, two kids, Montana.
- Got it.
- We gotta go.
Ladies.
I may be cheap, but I'm not free.
- LACEY: Pardon?
- That'll be a $150, s'il vous plaît.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
A lot of guys through here.
I don't remember him
one way or the other.
Is there anyone here who would?
Maybe Benny. He talks to a lot of people.
And tell him for me if he plays My Wa y
one more time he's a dead man.
Just kidding.
Sorry, don't know the dude.
He's a singer, opera singer.
Strictly easy listening. You want opera?
Go down the street.
What do you mean?
BENNY: Firenze. Italian joint
with waiters who'll
sing you an aria with your Oreganato.
Makes sense, the guy goes in that bar
one night after work,
he meets Carole Mitchell.
Here. Here.
(MAN AND WOMAN SINGING)
Detectives Cagney and Lacey.
We're looking for a Taylor Bowen.
We understand he works here.
Look at the jester.
(SINGING)
There is no Taylor Bowen here. I am sorry.
You may know him by another name.
- I am telling you that's the man.
- Oh, yes. Donald Greenblat.
That's him with the wig.
- Let's go.
- Hey, hey, Chris.
Let them finish.
(SINGING)
(PEOPLE APPLAUDING)
- LACEY: Bravo.
- Bravo.
Bravo. See, I told you it was him.
Excuse me.
Sure, ladies.
Did you enjoy the performance?
- Very much, thank you.
- I wonder
if I could trouble you for an autograph?
I've been saving this picture
the longest time.
- Sure. Do you have a pen?
- I got a pen right here in my purse.
Jeez, this is exciting.
You look so different in your costume.
- What's your first name?
- Mary Beth.
Don't move. Keep your hands
where they are. You're under arrest.
You have the right to...
- You all right, Chris?
- Hell, I'm bleeding.
I told you not to move.
- Get down!
- Hey!
(GROANS)
I promise I don't need much of an excuse.
- Isbecki. Follow me.
- Yeah.
Follow you?
I'd follow you anywhere, you know.
- What's this, some kind of a joke?
- No joke.
- May I?
- Certainly.
Thank you.
Well, then, guys. It's very simple.
The Lieutenant and Lois are finished.
And he will never, and I mean never,
find out that she was a pro.
What?
And since when did you get to be
such a goody two-shoes, Cagney?
We've got big bucks invested here.
This is a joke.
What good is a joke without a punch line?
You want a punch line? Try this.
All of you gentlemen are guilty
of procuring a prostitute,
which, in case you have forgotten,
is a crime.
- You'd turn us in to Internal Affairs?
- In a minute.
In a second,
if he ever finds out she was a professional.
Which, of course, will never happen,
will it?
What are you two so hot about?
It was just a joke.
I don't think we have
anything more to discuss.
Meeting is adjourned.
So, what are youse, a bunch of perverts
standing around the woman's john?
We would appreciate a little privacy here.
- Gentlemen. Excuse me.
- Women, jeez.
Even Claudia,
you get her on a bad day, I'm telling you...
ISBECKI: Women have no sense of humor.
LA GUARDIA: Hormones. It's all hormones.
Studies have shown that mood swings
are directly related to progesterone.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
- Yeah?
- We just got a call.
- Carole Mitchell's coming out of the coma.
- They think she's going to be okay.
Isbecki wanted to be the one to tell you,
but we thought we all should.
- Oh, wow.
- Thank you.
Come here. Come on.
Come on. Come here.
Yes, yes. Oh, wow.
about a skinny, young girl
taking her clothes off
in front of a lot of strangers.
You think this is garbage?
Wait till you see
what a defense attorney would do to you.
You heard any good rape jokes lately?
Was it something that I'd done?
Had I led him on?
I'm not wasting time feeling guilty,
Mary Beth.
I'm gonna nail him.
So how come when Rhett Butler
throws Scarlett down on the bed,
that's romance,
but when some poor slob does it,
that's rape?
If you don't know the difference
between rape and romance,
then you've got a serious problem.
MAN: Mercy!
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(TYPEWRITER CLACKING)
MAN:...birthday.
(PEOPLE HOOTING)
(PEOPLE WHISTLING)
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
(ALL CHEERING)
Hey, guys.
MAN: Mercy!
Why don't you ask her out on a date,
you old dog, you?
I think she can teach you
a few new tricks, La Guardia.
Hey, at your age,
you probably forgot what to do, right?
Listen, I may be a year older,
but I'm not dead yet.
Hey, listen, if you ever need
a refresher course, come talk to me.
They don't call me the professor of love
for nothing.
Oh, yeah, like they say,
BOTH: "Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach."
You left early, you missed the best part.
- Well, it makes me uncomfortable.
- Really, why?
Oh, come on, Mary Beth, it's all in fun.
She wasn't upset by it.
Why should you be?
Besides, I think you're missing something
very significant.
I'm sorry, Christine,
but there is nothing significant
about a skinny, young girl
taking her clothes off
in front of a lot of strangers.
That's sad and degrading
and not something I want to be a part of.
She didn't find it degrading, Mary Beth.
Don't you see? A year ago
they wouldn't have invited us to anything,
much less a striptease. Today they did.
I don't even think they realize it,
but they're finally accepting us
as one of them.
Never one of my major goals, Christine.
Got a request for a lady cop.
You two know any?
Two.
Yeah, well,
the victim's in the interview room.
Carole Mitchell, age 32, a little bit hostile,
insists on speaking only to a female cop.
There you go.
Sit down.
Please.
Well, you two seem human enough.
- I beg your pardon?
- I'm begging your pardon.
I don't want to start off on the wrong foot,
but, you know,
- this is hard for me to talk about.
- We understand, believe me.
Why don't you sit down,
take a deep breath
and just start at the beginning?
All right.
(CLEARING THROAT)
I was raped.
I'm sorry.
Can you tell us where it happened?
- In my apartment.
- He broke in?
No, I was... I was...
- You let him in?
- I was on a date with him.
LACEY: Oh.
(SCOFFS)
How did I know that you would say, "Oh"?
- I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it.
- It's okay. You know, it gets worse.
I met him at a singles bar,
had a drink with him.
In fact, I even ordered the second round.
Then we went back to my apartment,
we had another drink.
I even let the guy kiss me.
What do you two ladies think about that?
We don't think anything.
LACEY: Can you tell us
what happened then?
He wanted to go to bed.
Only, I don't know...
There was just something weird about...
You know, the guy was creepy.
And I mean, I told him no.
I said, you know...
I asked him to leave and he just got crazy.
- How do you mean crazy?
- He started shouting and screaming.
He comes up with this old story,
you know,
"You can't say no to me
after you got me all worked up like this."
And then he just beat...
Just beat me up very badly.
Then he raped me.
- He beat you?
- My face, my arms, my neck.
- It's all faded now.
- How long ago did this happen?
CAROLE: Two weeks.
- Why did you wait so long to report it?
- Why?
Because I heard how insensitive cops are.
That's why. This is not my favorite thing
to do, you know?
- We understand that, Miss Mitchell.
- I mean, I tried.
At first, I told myself the best thing to do
is just try and forget about it.
- And now?
- The guy called me again yesterday.
Asked me out again
like nothing had happened,
and when I told him to leave me alone,
he starts screaming like before.
I mean, this man is a lunatic,
and I'm scared.
He's gonna hurt me again, I know it.
Can you stop him? Can you arrest him?
Yes, ma'am. If you will sign a complaint.
His name is Ed Ravenswood. He told me
he sings at the New World City Opera.
He said he's a baritone. He told me that.
Hey, what did she want?
Come on, I've got a bet with Isbecki.
I say it was rape.
He says non-support or battered wife.
Can I see that?
- Well, what kind of case is it?
- She was raped.
I'm gonna run his name through BCI.
- She knows his name?
- Well, she was on a date with him.
Picked him up at a bar and took him home.
You know what this smells like to me?
A one-night stand that never called back.
Sure, chick gets upset,
turns him in to the cops to get revenge.
Classic "woman scorned" and all that.
Paul, the woman was raped.
Read your penal code.
Sexual intercourse without consent.
Hey, don't be so literal.
What do you think us guys are,
mind readers or something?
CAGNEY: What do you mean?
Women always say no,
sometimes they mean yes.
Usually they mean maybe. Am I wrong?
I think you're over-generalizing.
I think the man knows
what he's talking about, all right?
You know who Thelma's favorite hero
of all time is?
Rhett Butler. "So romantic," she said.
So how come when Rhett Butler
throws Scarlett down on the bed,
that's romance,
but when some poor slob does it,
that's rape?
With respect, sir,
if you don't know the difference
between rape and romance,
then you've got a serious problem.
It's that time of the month or what?
Two camels, one elephant
and sufficiency of the usual chazerei.
Well, on the 30th then.
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
(SPEAKING ITALIAN)
(SPEAKING JAPANESE)
And all that jazz.
We're doing Aida. Mucho boring.
The hoi polloi eat it up.
(EXCLAIMS)
Anyway,
sorry to keep you hanging, Officer.
Detective Lacey.
I'm investigating a rape charge.
Our favorite diva
is molesting the tenors again?
Or knowing her tastes, perhaps,
something a bit more outré?
Mr. Richards,
I'm sorry if you find this funny. I do not.
A young woman was raped
by one of your performers.
- The man's name is Ed Ravenswood.
- Ed Ravenswood?
My dear,
Ed Ravenswood does not work here,
has never worked here.
But I do know where you can find him.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(OFFICERS CHA TTERING ON RADIO)
How do you like the cologne?
On someone else.
Sorry, Victor, you set me up. Wait.
What about basses and tenors?
Okay, thanks for your help.
He's not a member of
any of the performers' unions.
Skip it, forget it.
What, they never heard of him
at the City Opera?
No, they've heard of him,
full name Edgar Ravenswood.
- So he sings there?
- No, they sing him there.
He's the hero of some opera.
It's Lucia di Lammermoor.
He's a married guy, he has to be.
All married men on the make use an alias.
- Isn't that right, Petrie?
- Don't look at me. I wouldn't know.
- Just being hypothetical.
- Well, it's not at all unreasonable
in light of the new Canfield report
on male sexuality.
This is a flakey case.
You still think
you have a crime here, Christine?
I don't know. I haven't heard him sing yet.
Would you knock it off?
Okay?
I'm going home. I'll see you tomorrow.
Excuse me.
Mary Beth.
A woman has been hurt out there,
or maybe you're so busy yukking it up
with the guys that you forgot about that.
- No, I remember.
- Well, I was beginning to wonder.
- Is it possible you could lighten up a little?
- Yeah, sure.
You heard any good rape jokes lately?
Mary Beth, please.
I know people get hurt every day.
Some of the stuff we see, if we took it in
without some kind of a filter,
I think it would just make us a little crazy.
So, sometimes I laugh. That's what I do.
- Well, there's things I don't laugh.
- And that's fine.
That's my way, that's what I do. Okay?
I don't know. I'll think it over.
- Have you got any hand lotion?
- Yeah.
Ladies, La Guardia's niece is here.
You are not gonna wanna miss this.
- La Guardia's niece?
- Oh, yeah.
- That's the stuff that works, right?
- Yeah.
- Never fails?
- No, never fails. Not at all.
- You serious?
- Yeah.
What do you think, ladies, huh?
Is this man irresistible
to the female gender?
What? You got a date?
Yeah, La Guardia traded me three night
shifts if I'd show his niece around town.
Really looks good.
You know, Ronni is gonna love you.
You do, Isbecki, you look good.
Well, I hate blind dates.
Now, tell me again.
She's a very distant relative?
Victor, I promise you,
Ronni doesn't look anything like me.
Oh, no. Trust me, I have seen her.
RONNI: Uncle Paul?
Ronni.
- LA GUARDIA: You look lovely.
- Thank you.
- Mary Beth Lacey.
- Hello.
- LA GUARDIA: Chris Cagney.
- Hi, Ronni.
LA GUARDIA: Mark Petrie.
The Lieutenant, you know.
And this is Victor Isbecki.
How do you do, Victor? Uncle Paul
has told me so much about you.
It's really good meeting you, Ronni.
But he never mentioned
how good-looking you were.
You're pretty attractive yourself.
I can tell this is going to be
an evening to remember.
Me, too. Why not get out of here?
ISBECKI: I thought maybe
we'd start with some drinks.
- It's nice to have met you, Ronni.
- I hope you like French food.
- French is my favorite.
- Enjoy yourselves.
What?
- What?
- Did you see the look on his face?
The man is in love.
Either that or he's in lust.
Well, she seemed
like a very nice girl to me.
You should see
his Raquel Welch impersonation.
What?
Ronni is Ronald.
He's a female impersonator.
LACEY: Yeah. I'll hold.
So, Victor, how was your date?
I'm gonna get you for this, La Guardia.
I promise.
Hey, don't be mad at me.
It was the Lieutenant's idea.
Samuels, huh?
Well, I guess I owe him one.
COLEMAN: So, when did you
find out, Isbecki?
I don't want to talk about it.
Come on, tell us. When'd you find out?
After dinner, he invited me home
to meet his wife and kids.
Yes, do you show a listing
of AGMA members by physical type?
Yeah, height and weight, age range,
coloring, all that.
Yes.
- A directory, yes. Yes, thank you.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
- ALL: Good morning.
I just wanted to say, Isbecki,
that I think you and Ronni
make a perfectly beautiful couple.
Thanks, Cagney.
Actually, she reminded me a lot of you,
but I do think you make the better man.
- Good one, Isbecki.
- Thank you, Victor.
But really,
you give me way too much credit.
Around here
I don't have that much competition.
Oh, come on, Victor.
You're not really mad, are you?
- We were just kidding.
- Me? Why would I be mad?
Oops.
- Good morning, Mary Beth.
- Morning.
Can I talk to you?
- In the john.
- I'm waiting on a phone call here.
Okay.
- I went by Carole Mitchell's bar last night.
- And?
And the bartender doesn't remember
our Mr. Ravenswood.
- Isbecki, you wanna get out of here?
- Yeah, I'm just getting some coffee.
How long could it take?
Anyway, he doesn't remember...
What? You want to hear this?
Well, come on. How about all of you?
The bartender doesn't remember our guy,
but he does remember Carole Mitchell.
He said she goes into the bar a lot.
In fact, sometimes
she even takes a guy home with her.
What a surprise.
And here I was thinking
she was a vestal virgin.
We called them round heels
when I was in high school.
Every school had one.
We had one with big legs
and a moustache.
COLEMAN: So what?
All cats are gray in the dark.
Thank you, gentlemen,
for the view from the gutter.
- Excuse me.
- See?
That's why I wanted to talk to you
in the bathroom.
Sensitive of you, Christine.
That's perfect, right there.
You got it. You got it.
Tell the truth, Harv.
You think I'm making a big deal?
No, I understand why you're upset.
I mean, the guys,
they all sound like a bunch of jerks.
Yeah. And Christine?
- You do. You think I'm making a big deal.
- Come on. I mean, a little humor.
Maybe it's not in the best of taste,
but it cuts the tension.
- How does it hurt anybody?
- I don't know.
It's like it makes us all less...
Less to each other.
Maybe you have to be sometimes, huh?
It's a tough job you got.
Now see, you're saying exactly
the same thing that Christine said to me.
So, maybe she's got a point.
Why don't you just call it
a difference of opinion and live with it?
I don't know, Harv, because I can't...
- I have to say what I believe in, don't I?
- Sure.
I can't just bite my tongue
if something bothers me.
That's okay, but just don't make
everybody else the bad guy
because they don't see everything
exactly the way you do.
Harv, how come every time I ask you
to tell the truth, you tell the truth?
You never take my side.
Okay, okay. From now on
I'm just gonna take your side.
- Fine.
- All right.
- I'll take this side, right here.
- Cut it out, Harv.
And then I'm gonna take this side.
I told you a thousand times,
don't tickle me if you don't mean it.
Oh, I mean it. I mean it.
Croissants.
Oh, from Michel's.
- I'm sorry if I've been a pain.
- It's no big deal.
- You want some of these?
- No, I got donuts from Mel's.
Well, today is the day. It's all set up.
What?
I completely forgot.
I've got appointments all afternoon.
You find a way. We're all counting on you.
Excuse me, sir.
Lieutenant Berwick's office called.
They want to meet with you.
He suggested lunch at Luigi's, 12:30.
Internal Affairs.
What did I do to deserve this?
- What do you got there, Cagney?
- Croissants.
- Jelly donut?
- Yeah, give me one of those.
Thanks. Jeez.
- They're sticky.
- Why don't you get some fresh ones?
Okay, 12:45. Do not forget.
What is going on?
May I see you in the conference room?
Isbecki's getting back at Samuels
for the Ronni joke.
- How's that?
- The Berwick thing, it's all a setup.
I'm supposed to call the restaurant,
leave a message
that the meeting has been canceled.
That's kind of a dumb joke.
Yeah, except that Isbecki has a lady
who's gonna put some moves
on the Lieutenant while he's waiting.
A lady, you mean an actress?
You mean a hooker.
CAGNEY: She doesn't look like a hooker.
I mean, this is a great morale builder
for the Lieutenant.
He'll really think he's hot stuff.
You're upset again.
- It's a practical joke to pay him back.
- I get the picture.
I mean, nothing's gonna happen.
The Lieutenant can spot a hooker
a mile away.
- He'll get a kick out of it.
- Sure.
- MAN: Lacey. Telephone.
- Yeah.
LACEY: Okay, we're on our way.
The 53rd has got a guy in custody
confessing to a whole string of rapes.
- Come on.
- Do you think...
Do you think
he's involved with Carole Mitchell?
Do I know? Let's go find out.
- Is something the matter?
- No.
No, it's okay. Let's go check it out.
I'll let you have Parker's mug shots
to show your victim,
but I don't think he's your boy.
The physical description
sounded pretty close.
Yeah, but not the M.O.
Parker likes to do it in alleys, you know.
He likes to humiliate his victims.
Oh, I see.
As opposed to raping them in their
own homes, which is not humiliating.
Well, excuse me. I thought you were a cop,
not some Gloria Steinem.
- Hey, can I use your phone?
- Yeah, go ahead.
Yeah. Hi. Would you page
Lieutenant Samuels for me, please?
No, I just wanna leave a message.
Yeah, would you tell him
the meeting has been canceled?
No reschedule,
the matter has been resolved.
Yeah, that's it. Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
We're gonna be seeing the victim
late this afternoon,
so we'll see what she makes of it.
- Thank you.
- Regards to the wife.
- Why?
- I want to ask the Lieutenant his opinion.
No, what you want is for him
to tell us to get off this case.
What is with you?
I want to run it by him, okay?
Look, if you're going in there,
find out what you can, okay?
What are you talking about?
Look, he just came back
from the restaurant whistling.
- All right, fine.
- The theme from Gone with the Wind.
Good.
So, Mary Beth,
you want to listen to this or not?
All right, as long as you don't go
in there and poison the well.
(WHISTLING)
Excuse me, Lieutenant.
Could we talk to you for a minute?
We need your opinion about a case.
- Hey, I must be living right.
- Sir?
Well, first of all I meet this very charming
young lady in a restaurant,
then I dodge a bullet from IAD,
and finally my two favorite detectives
are asking for my opinion.
- Go ahead, sit down, sit down.
- Thank you.
- It's about Carole Mitchell.
- Oh, yeah, the date rape.
- Yes, sir.
- I think we're up against a dead end.
What we're trying to figure out
is what we should do next, sir.
Well, you want my advice?
Don't knock yourselves out.
Sir?
Well, even assuming, for argument's sake,
that you got a case here,
it's a waste of time looking for the perp.
There is no conviction percentage.
No jury is gonna buy a woman
going out on a date with a guy
and then hollering, "Rape."
I think that some juries might, sir.
What about a jury of her peers?
You mean women?
Oh, be realistic, will you, Lacey?
In my experience,
women are even harder than men.
- Anything else?
- No, sir.
If you don't get a lead on this pretty quick,
I'm gonna want you
to put it on the backburner.
Because you got other more pressing
things you could be pursuing.
You got it?
- I did not influence him.
- No.
I just wanted to check some things out.
To be honest with you, I wanted
to find out how far off base I was.
Hey, Chris, you don't believe her?
You don't think that it was rape?
Hey!
Mary Beth, listen to me.
This is not something
that I could say in front of the guys.
I go out a lot. You know that.
I also say no a lot.
Oh, yeah? Well, my goodness.
The point is, when I say no,
they get that I mean no.
Chris, I can't believe that you said that.
- What did I say?
- What? Since you've never been raped,
that means that Carole Mitchell
could not possibly have been raped, either.
That isn't what I meant. You know it.
Well, you've never been murdered, okay.
So I can show you
several hundred people every year
who are not so lucky.
Please. Mary Beth,
I'm not gonna fight with you.
All right, we will take these pictures
over to Carole Mitchell.
We will see what she wants to do,
and then we will take it from there.
No. No, it's not this guy.
- You sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.
And he's never bothered you again?
Miss Mitchell, these are résumé photos
and publicity stills
from the New World City Opera Company.
You wanna look at them, please,
and call us as soon as you can?
And what if he isn't in here?
- Well, then we'll keep looking.
- Where?
To tell you the truth, the chances then
would be pretty slim that we'd find him.
- It breaks your heart, doesn't it?
- Look, I'm not gonna lie to you.
Even if we do find him,
we'll have a hell of a time convicting him.
(PHONE RINGING)
CAROLE: Hi there, leave a message.
I'm really looking forward
to talking to you.
MARTY: Hi, baby, it's Marty.
Last night was great.
Let's do it again, soon.
(GROANS)
Look at you two.
Standing there so busy judging me, huh?
- Because I pick up guys in a bar?
- No, ma'am.
Where else am I supposed
to meet someone?
You know, I work in an office
with three women.
What am I supposed to do?
Sit home and wait for Prince Charming
to come knocking at my door?
- I think that you could be more careful.
- No.
What you really think is that I'm a tramp
and I don't have the right to say no.
That's not true, Miss Mitchell.
I thought women cops would be different,
but, you know, they're not.
Just pigs in dresses.
- You wait just one damn minute here.
- We're trying to help you here.
Don't bother. I don't need this garbage.
Lady, you think this is garbage?
Wait till you see
what a defense attorney would do to you.
I'm not going to give him the chance, see.
I don't care.
Let's just drop the whole thing right here.
Let's just forget it.
Miss Mitchell, we want to find this man
as much as you do.
No, you don't.
Get out. Just leave me alone.
Go on. Get out.
- Go on.
- Ma'am.
That's one tough cookie.
You're right. She should be more careful.
Do you think that she was giving that guy
mixed signals before?
Whatever happened before
it seems to be over now.
She'll be okay.
Yeah.
So, we close it out.
Victim's unwilling to press charges.
Yeah.
Wouldn't screw up
our conviction record, either.
Right.
Closing out the date rape, huh?
Just like I said,
more date than rape, right?
No. She's leaving town. Traumatized.
- Why give him another cheap laugh.
- Right.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir, no donuts this morning.
Oh, that's all right. I'm on a diet.
Whatever you do, I hope you're not going
for that high-protein propaganda.
Lipid levels and triglycerides,
it's the worst.
Unrefined carbohydrates and vegetables,
that's the way to go.
You do look very nice this morning, sir.
You're very dressed up.
Oh, yeah?
Lois, that's the woman
that I met at the restaurant the other day,
we're going out together again tonight.
Oh.
Lacey, do you think she'd like the opera?
- The opera, sir?
- I don't like the opera much myself.
It's just that I thought
it would make a good impression.
So, you think you could call the guy
you're talking to over there at the opera
and get me some good seats?
Well, sir, I don't know that
that's a good idea, sir.
Oh, no, no. I don't mean that I want
any freebies or anything like that.
No, no. I'll pay whatever it takes.
It's just that I want to make sure
I get good seats.
I would appreciate it.
La Guardia, so, come on,
talk to me about the diet.
What do you think, I should cut out toast?
No, toast is fine. Cut out sugars and fats.
Sugar and fats.
Can you believe this?
He's taking a hooker to the opera.
As long as she doesn't charge by the act.
Guys, I don't think it's funny, all right.
I don't think this is funny at all.
I think the joke should be called off.
Sure, Mary Beth.
Do you wanna go in there
and tell the Lieutenant
that he's fallen for a prostitute?
- I think somebody should.
- COLEMAN: Not me.
PETRIE: Just a minute, please.
It's for you, Mary Beth. On two.
Thank you. Detective Lacey. One.
No.
Oh, my God.
(WOMAN CHA TTERING ON PA)
DOCTOR: Neighbor found her.
She's lucky she's alive.
CAGNEY: What's the prognosis?
You mean, will she survive?
I don't know. I think so.
Will she come out of the coma?
I don't know. I hope so.
- When? In her own good time.
- WOMAN: Doctor Sullivan, please call...
- That's the best you can do?
- Ain't medical science wonderful?
One last question, Doctor.
- Is there any sign of sexual assault?
- She was raped. No doubt about it.
- It was that same guy, Christine.
- I know it was the same guy.
- What is happening to us here?
- What do you mean?
The woman told us she was scared of him
and we didn't listen.
All we listened to
was the guys' smutty jokes.
And all we cared about
was our lousy conviction percentage.
You don't mean us. You mean me.
No, I mean us.
I mean, I let that nonsense get to me.
And it kept me from doing my job.
I'm not wasting time feeling guilty,
Mary Beth.
I'm gonna find that bastard,
and I'm gonna nail him.
- Do you want me to drive?
- No, I'm fine.
Cagney, can I see you, please, in here?
We're getting the file up
on Carole Mitchell,
and then we're going over
to her apartment.
- Good, good. I want you to find that scum.
- Yes, sir.
Close the door.
This is more of a personal kind of matter.
- Yes, sir.
- Go ahead. Sit down.
I didn't know how to ask one of the guys.
And I guess I thought that you would
know a lot about this kind of stuff.
It's something
that Lacey said about romance.
- The Rhett Butler thing.
- Oh, yes.
Yeah, well. Thelma was right.
Yeah, there should've been more romance.
I always thought there was,
but after a while, you know, it's...
(STUTTERING) Anyways, what I
really want is now for it to be better.
- Do you know what I mean?
- Sure.
I don't know why,
but I feel like such a klutz.
You know, you see, with Lois it's...
She's the first since Thelma and I...
And dating...
- Kids with pimples date.
- It's awkward, I know, dating.
(CLEARING THROAT)
There's so much has changed
since I was a kid going around with girls.
I mean, what? Candy?
Flowers?
Cagney, do you like that kind of stuff?
From the right guy.
When I was a kid, in my time,
you were lucky
if you got a kiss on a third date.
(CHUCKLES)
But last night...
Lois seemed interested in me and I...
(STAMMERING) But I was afraid.
I didn't know. You know, I wasn't sure.
You know, maybe it was too soon.
You know, I want it to be right this time.
Does this make any sense to you at all?
Sure.
Hey, this is stupid, huh?
Who do I think you are, a Dear Abby?
Well, okay, okay, then, thank you.
Thank you for listening
to this over-the-hill 15-year-old.
- Cagney.
- Yes, sir.
- Just forget everything that I said, okay?
- Yes, sir.
- He really likes her.
- Who?
- The Lieutenant.
- The hooker? You mean, a lot?
He wants me to tell him
how to get her to like him.
That poor man. That lonely man.
He's gonna be so hurt.
He's gonna be so humiliated
when he finds out.
LA GUARDIA: Ladies, I believe someone
ordered up a file.
We'll think of something.
Come on.
We gotta get to Carole Mitchell's place.
Don't hold your breath for prints.
Looks like he smudged them off
with a cloth.
- Did you dust this phone off?
- Yeah, I dusted it.
Okay, I'm gonna call in.
Chris.
There. By you. By you.
- Is this clean here?
- Yeah, it's clean.
(TAPE REWINDING)
EVEL YN: This is Evelyn. Can you come
in about a half an hour early tomorrow?
Phone me if you get in at a decent hour.
MAN: This is... Forget it.
I don't talk to machines.
(MAN SINGING)
We're about finished here.
You got anything for us?
- What's the address?
- Quiet.
Is that north or south of Bloom?
- I'll play it back.
- No, no. Wait, wait. Hold it.
- Yeah. Yeah, we...
- Quiet!
MAN: This is Ed Ravenswood again.
I wanna see you.
Give me a call at 373...
- Damn. 373.
- I got it.
CAROLE: This is Carole.
MAN: You're home.
- I want you to leave me alone.
- No, I don't think so.
CAROLE: I know who you are.
I have a picture of you.
- MAN: Sure.
- CAROLE: From the opera.
If you don't leave me alone,
I'll go to the police.
MAN: Oka y, Carole, you got it.
(DIAL TONE DRONING)
You guys, you seen like a cardboard box,
about like that
with a bunch of 8x10 glossies in it,
anywhere?
No, I didn't.
Chris, here we go.
Look at that.
I'm afraid I really wouldn't know his name.
He's a super.
Go shave.
What, the janitor?
A supernumerary.
They appear in crowd scenes
for $5 an hour.
I make it a rule not to know the name
of anyone who works for $5 an hour.
Well, don't you keep records or pictures?
Sure. They leave glossies and résumés.
Hope springs eternal.
Why didn't you give us those before?
My dear, in opera,
the rapist is usually a principal singer.
If I had known you were interested
in the ambiance...
Well, we are. He means extras.
- There's hundreds of them.
- Fine.
You are more than welcome to rummage
through the photos if you like.
In fact, it should be quite a little challenge
for you two, I would think.
Lead the way.
- Chris?
- No luck.
I can't believe all these people
want to be opera singers.
Christine, there's an elephant out there,
in the hallway.
Yeah, from Aida.
I slept through it twice with Barney.
Mary Beth.
It's my turn, okay.
Where's the ladies room?
It's around the corner past the camel.
- Which stack here?
- Go from here to there.
Christine. Chris!
Look here.
Bingo.
We're looking for this man.
And your name has been listed on the
back of this photo as his opera agent.
I haven't represented Taylor Bowen
for three years now.
Still, perhaps you can help us here.
You must have a file on him.
Probably not.
I had a fire in my old offices two years ago.
- Great.
- Now, I have a luncheon appointment.
So, if you'd...
I'm sorry,
but it's very important that we find him.
We have reason to believe that he raped
and brutally assaulted a woman.
Oh, my God.
I didn't mean to upset you like this.
You're the only lead that we have.
He attacked me, too. Three years ago.
He was a perfectly good singer,
but then, there are many,
many perfectly good singers.
I just couldn't get him work.
So in the end I felt sorry for him.
So I asked him out to dinner
to cheer him up a bit.
He called for me at my apartment.
We had a drink.
And then he made a pass at me.
And when I said no,
he went berserk.
He beat me up.
And raped me.
CAGNEY: Did you report this?
Well, I kept going over and over it
in my mind.
I mean, wondering,
was it something that I'd done?
Had I led him on?
Well, finally, it was just easier
to try and forget it
and pretend it never happened.
I...
I dropped him as a client.
And I never saw him again.
Oh, but that other woman...
And it's all my fault.
It's a lot of people's faults.
Yeah, Taylor Bowen's.
(SOBS)
We will find him.
Yeah, thanks anyway.
Taylor Bowen. The only address they show
for him is his agent Renata Myers.
Great. So where do we go from here?
Back to Carole Mitchell's bar.
- Lieutenant.
- Yeah.
- You're going out with Lois again?
- Yes. Yeah, yeah, I am.
You get any touch of those yet?
You can the wise guy stuff.
You're talking about a lady.
- You got it?
- I got it.
She's charging us full pop.
At the rate he's moving,
we ought to ask for a refund.
I didn't bargain for this.
It's costing a fortune.
I just want to see his face
when he finds out.
You gotta let him down easy.
- Tell him it's another guy.
- A husband.
- You were separated, but you made up.
- That's good.
In fact, you went back
for the sake of the kid.
Two kids.
And you are moving out of state.
- Jersey.
- Montana.
Montana is good.
- You got that?
- Husband, two kids, Montana.
- Got it.
- We gotta go.
Ladies.
I may be cheap, but I'm not free.
- LACEY: Pardon?
- That'll be a $150, s'il vous plaît.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
A lot of guys through here.
I don't remember him
one way or the other.
Is there anyone here who would?
Maybe Benny. He talks to a lot of people.
And tell him for me if he plays My Wa y
one more time he's a dead man.
Just kidding.
Sorry, don't know the dude.
He's a singer, opera singer.
Strictly easy listening. You want opera?
Go down the street.
What do you mean?
BENNY: Firenze. Italian joint
with waiters who'll
sing you an aria with your Oreganato.
Makes sense, the guy goes in that bar
one night after work,
he meets Carole Mitchell.
Here. Here.
(MAN AND WOMAN SINGING)
Detectives Cagney and Lacey.
We're looking for a Taylor Bowen.
We understand he works here.
Look at the jester.
(SINGING)
There is no Taylor Bowen here. I am sorry.
You may know him by another name.
- I am telling you that's the man.
- Oh, yes. Donald Greenblat.
That's him with the wig.
- Let's go.
- Hey, hey, Chris.
Let them finish.
(SINGING)
(PEOPLE APPLAUDING)
- LACEY: Bravo.
- Bravo.
Bravo. See, I told you it was him.
Excuse me.
Sure, ladies.
Did you enjoy the performance?
- Very much, thank you.
- I wonder
if I could trouble you for an autograph?
I've been saving this picture
the longest time.
- Sure. Do you have a pen?
- I got a pen right here in my purse.
Jeez, this is exciting.
You look so different in your costume.
- What's your first name?
- Mary Beth.
Don't move. Keep your hands
where they are. You're under arrest.
You have the right to...
- You all right, Chris?
- Hell, I'm bleeding.
I told you not to move.
- Get down!
- Hey!
(GROANS)
I promise I don't need much of an excuse.
- Isbecki. Follow me.
- Yeah.
Follow you?
I'd follow you anywhere, you know.
- What's this, some kind of a joke?
- No joke.
- May I?
- Certainly.
Thank you.
Well, then, guys. It's very simple.
The Lieutenant and Lois are finished.
And he will never, and I mean never,
find out that she was a pro.
What?
And since when did you get to be
such a goody two-shoes, Cagney?
We've got big bucks invested here.
This is a joke.
What good is a joke without a punch line?
You want a punch line? Try this.
All of you gentlemen are guilty
of procuring a prostitute,
which, in case you have forgotten,
is a crime.
- You'd turn us in to Internal Affairs?
- In a minute.
In a second,
if he ever finds out she was a professional.
Which, of course, will never happen,
will it?
What are you two so hot about?
It was just a joke.
I don't think we have
anything more to discuss.
Meeting is adjourned.
So, what are youse, a bunch of perverts
standing around the woman's john?
We would appreciate a little privacy here.
- Gentlemen. Excuse me.
- Women, jeez.
Even Claudia,
you get her on a bad day, I'm telling you...
ISBECKI: Women have no sense of humor.
LA GUARDIA: Hormones. It's all hormones.
Studies have shown that mood swings
are directly related to progesterone.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
- Yeah?
- We just got a call.
- Carole Mitchell's coming out of the coma.
- They think she's going to be okay.
Isbecki wanted to be the one to tell you,
but we thought we all should.
- Oh, wow.
- Thank you.
Come here. Come on.
Come on. Come here.
Yes, yes. Oh, wow.