Copper (2012–2013): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Empty Locket - full transcript

Detective Corcoran,
you are never what I expect.

Jasper's going to stay
with us for a while, if that's okay.

Herr Schwarz, may I see that locket?

This is a surprise for Corky.

Give it to me at once.

Who pawned this locket?

Madame Grindle.

If you found that locket of Ellen's,

what would you do with it?

I love him like a brother,
but the man's been talking a fool's game.

Maguire's got plans to make an honest woman
of Molly and become a farmer.



I'm not sure Francis is the farming sort.

And Molly's the marrying sort?

I was there, upstairs, telling Annie a story.

I heard every groan.

Major, what the hell?

- Just a minor misunderstanding.
- Here.

It's just that this miscreant insists

that I'm not allowed in this establishment.

What the...

Why won't you give Corky the locket?

Aren't you the brazen little bitch.

I just...

He's been asking for that locket
since he got back from the war.

Keeping it from Corky is just plain wrong.



He's never gonna move on.

He's never gonna be entirely yours

until he finds out what happened to his wife.

The damn thing's cursed.

Ellen's disappearance,
Kevin's daughter murdered

and Madame Grindle.

Oh, yes.

I'm aware Grindle had the locket.

I just can't figure out why you would lie to me.

If you want the locket so badly,

take it, Molly.

One condition. You do not tell
Kevin it was ever in my possession.

I won't say nothing. I swear.

That's a good girl.

Remember, you're my favorite scarlet.

I wouldn't want anything to come between us.

- Who's there?
- It's me. Molly.

We can't do this, Molly.

Not again.

- I found it for you, Corky.
- Where?

Does it matter?

Tell me where!

Herr Schwarz.

He said Madame Grindle pawned it.

Grindle?

You know, the abortion doctor,
the one who croaked the other day.

Now that you have your locket,

you can relax.

Schwarz!

Open up!

Ain't there some Jew holiday?

Damn!

So come on, now.
Tell me, what do you need this Jew for?

Molly gave me Ellen's locket.

Look, if I had known she had it,
I'd have told you first thing.

- I know you would've.
- Where'd she get it?

Here. Grindle pawned it.

I wanna know what Schwarz knows.

Schwarz!

Matthew Freeman. Whoo!

No reason for fear, Sara.

- This stranger's family.
- Come on, boy.

Uncle Marcus!

Hey!

Kid, you're looking finer than cream gravy.

You're not so bad yourself.

Marcus, my wife Sara. Our guest, Jasper.

Sweet Lord.

You are beautiful.

Matthew done got himself lucky.

- Pleasure.
- It's all mine.

- How you doing, son?
- Swell, mister.

I behave.

You hungry?

Oh, ravenous.

So last time I heard,
you were in Cincinnati, boxing.

Unbeatable.

Till I got beat.

Been a while since I stepped in the ring.

Knees gave out before
the jaw. Who'd have thought?

So what brings you to New York?

On my way across the old Atlantic.

To England?

The homeland, Africa. Thank you.

Liberia, to be more exact.

That country is a land
of opportunities for the Negro.

- You should come along.
- Ha!

Uncle Marcus, I was born in America.

America?

There's no America.

Thank you. Only blue and gray. And black.

Liberia's got its own
declaration of independence,

its own constitution.

I'm gonna create my own destiny.

When my feet land on Liberia's shore,

I will shout the new republic's motto.

"The love of liberty has brought us here."

Mary had a little lamb
She kept it on a barge

When she took her bloomers off

His woolly dick got large

Annie!

Tea tastes like an iron fence.

That's Twinings Earl Grey,

London's finest.

'Tis a proper lady's beverage.

You'll acquire the taste.

I hate this house!
I hate this dress, that stupid tea...

I want to go back to Miss Eva's.

Absolutely not.

That's the last place on earth you're going.

This dress!

All right. Everybody, give me your attention.

Madame Grindle was found
stabbed to death, Thursday.

Anyone know anything?

Ever come across the woman
inside or outside her office?

- No one?
- I...

I went to see Madame Grindle last week.

And God forgive me, I can't afford no child.

You got some information?

What I ain't got is money.

Grindle kept a ledger.

Listed every woman who needed her
service and every man who paid for it.

All her doings is in that ledger.

Corky.

Found Grindle's sister. A Mary Lockwood.

She's down at the mission building.

Swing at my hands. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

My God, you're a grizzly bear.

Go do those exercises I taught you.

Okay, Mr. Marcus.

Go get 'em.

That boy'd make a great boxer.

- Jasper is no fighter.
- Well, not yet.

Matthew, I need to earn money

for my journey, for my new life.

There's a boxer, Irishman.

Think he's the cream on top of milk.

But he's got none of
the natural ability Jasper has.

Head to head, the kid
would take out the Irishman in two rounds.

No way you gonna learn that boy in the
ways of such a savage sport.

Violence has brought enough
anguish to his family. Ours too.

You leave Jasper be.

I have house calls to make.

My nephew, all grown.

A doctor!

Julia took Grindle as her surname.

Being a wedlock doctor, she didn't
want any trouble to come my way.

This locket was once in her possession.

Do you know how she came to it?

You inherited the stuff
in your sister's house on Worth.

We're looking for a ledger logging her clients.

Julia didn't actually live in
Five Points, but on 14th Street.

The place downtown was her office.

- Did you find the ledger there?
- No.

How about where she did live?

I work from morn until night at this mission,

and now I'm tasked with
arranging Julia's burial.

I haven't had the hours to get uptown.

We need that ledger, we find that,

we may find who killed Julia.

Why is it that a murderer
of a woman like my sister,

is such a priority to the Metropolitan Police?

Truth be told, Miss Lockwood,

there's more to this case
than murder that interests me.

Now, the address on 14th Street please.

There is the Kingdom of Heaven
and there is the kingdom of avarice.

Greed is the sin of seizing what one can,

while one can, however one can.

Let us pray.

Our Father...

Thank you for coming.

Hello, little one.

- See you at dinner on Thursday.
- I look forward to it.

Good to see you.

Bishop Onderdonk.

I hope you enjoyed today's sermon.

- Elegant and eye opening as always.
- Huh.

I saw Winfred Haverford
at the Union League Club

days before he perished.

He informed me that you intend to purchase
all the acreage in Five Points.

Winfred had a wild imagination.

To purchase land for the sole purpose
of increasing ones wealth...

I already have wealth, Right Reverend.

Yet it appears you crave more.

Now I am willing
to keep this matter between us

if your desire to level Five Points dims.

If not, I must obey God's will and speak out.

Onderdonk, you old goat,
I'm forced, each year,

to pay a tithe to this diocese.

If I dare refuse, you would condemn me
before the entire congregation.

You call it a donation.

I call it extortion.

Please excuse my son, Right Reverend.

The eager vision of youth is at times blind.

Ah.

Your words are genuine and appreciated.

We shall alter the situation posthaste.

Have a blessed day, gentlemen.

Are you really willing to forego...

I said alter the situation.

Our plan is not the problem.

Bishop Onderdonk is.

An unexpected proposal.

Pardon me. Come on. Upstairs, miss.

I'll only be a moment.

Who is that?

Grindle doesn't
look much like her sister Mary.

Ashes or evidence?

What are you going to do with burnt paper?

Me? I'm not gonna do anything.

I need something to put this in.

Here.

Annie.

Annie, what you doing all alone?

I had to talk to you.

So there I was
in Baxter Street, and ran into Annie.

She was talking crazy notions.

Going on about a strange man in your house?

That "strange man" is Antoine de Bovier.

He's designing Winfred's mausoleum.

Hmm.

Antoine is a little ghoulish.

The thing that concerns me though is

the thought of Annie alone in Five Points.

The very environment
from which we're trying to remove her.

- Please, won't you sit down?
- No, thank you.

- Tea?
- I have to ask, given her tempers,

do you still believe
this is the best place for the child?

While Annie certainly has a mind for mischief,

there's an abundance of potential in her.

And after you've known me a while, you'll see.

Once I decide to act, nothing can sway me.

Evening.

- It's pretty.
- Hmm.

That'd be a very bad move.

I don't really know how to play the game.

I'll teach you.

Yes, indeed.

Ha! Cuba.

Mmm-hmm.

Undefeated.

Money by the bucket loads
and the finest lady you ever saw.

Daniela Lopez Famosa.

Mmm!

Big, sumptuous eyes.

Your wife, Sara, she has them same eyes.

You just get lost in them.

Where's this Daniela now?

Spent every dime.

Woke up one morning,
other side of the bed was cold.

Found in a fireplace, you say?

Yeah. Any chance?

Let it dry or it'll smear.

God damn! Mad scientist you are.

These fancy new steel
pens use iron in their ink.

Even fire can't dispose of iron traces.

Residue's what you see there.

Seems Madame Grindle might've been
closer to God than we thought.

Five bucks.

The New York Episcopal
Diocese sent this letter to Grindle.

Detective, you have a
remarkable, irritating tendency

to always take things
one step further than needed.

"Utmost discretion of this matter,

"or you will be the one who pays."

Signed the Right Reverend,

the bishop of the Episcopal Church.

A letter burned in the fireplace

of the murdered woman's home.

Case is closed.

Closed?

Grindle was an abortion doctor. No one cares.

Oh, I think the person
who killed her cares very much.

He doesn't want to be found.

Nor will he be.

Your name is Sullivan, right?

It used to be "O'Sullivan,"

until your dad stepped off the boat

and they made him scratch off the

Grindle was murdered to protect some

goddamn uptown
Anglo-Saxon Protestant son of a bitch.

Our lowly Irish asses
would hang for lesser crime.

But, you, you sit there,
letting them win, because you want

the hoi polloi to think
Ciaran Joseph Sullivan is a good boy!

You finished, copper?

Good. Go home, get drunk, screw your whore.

Tomorrow, you move on!

Moving on? Not really my specialty.

Hood's army is tearing up the rail road tracks
from Atlanta to Chattanooga.

Cutting off Union supply lines.

Buy gold at $150.

I'm sorry. You were saying?

Your family, you have strong ties to the
Episcopal Diocese, the clergy.

You own a pew
on the front row of Trinity Church.

Yes, yes.

But you know me, Kevin.

I prefer the company
of heathens, such as yourself.

And less virginal women.

The Diocese sent letters, money to Grindle.

She's found murdered.

And her ledger, detailing
all clients and transactions, just disappears.

You have yet to ask a question,

but it seems you already have an answer.

Major, someone from the Diocese is...

They're trying to hide something.

And you think this
ledger possesses the ultimate truth,

like the Holy Bible?

I need to know who took the ledger.

Who holds the highest power
among the Episcopals?

Please.

Quite simple. There's the assistant bishop.

The bishop suffragan,
and, at the top, the diocesan bishop.

There.

May I inquire as to your interest?

It's the Madame Grindle case, sir.

And you believe some good soul
at the diocese is involved?

Leave us.

Detective, our diocesan bishop,
Benjamin Onderdonk,

is held in high esteem,

but there have been rumors
about his behavior.

There's nothing
more despicable than a hypocrite.

Begin your search with him
and if he is corrupt, expose him.

What did Admiral Farragut say
at Mobile Bay last August?

"Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!"

- Full speed ahead.
- Yes!

Thomas Cole.

True Americana.

Be careful, Corky.

There are walls even a man
as dexterous as you can't climb.

I don't intend to go over the wall, Major.

Like all Irish,

I'll go through the back door.

A question.

In that ledger, for whose name
are you truly looking?

Bishop Benjamin Onderdonk.

How long have you
cooked for him here at the chancery?

So what can you tell me about him?

Little to nothing.

He don't come 'round my kitchen.

But, still, a house like this
shakes from the top-down, and mischief,

it's whispered on every floor.

Can't help you.

Uh, it's Niamh, right?

Is that a Dublin accent?

'Tis, indeed.

You were born and raised
on the north side, were you not?

Some keen ears on you.

- Parnell Square.
- I know it well.

- Me granddad lived on Lower Gardiner.
- Did he, now?

His entire life.

Did you make the crossing
on the McCorkell Line?

Six years back.

And look at you now,

proper Catholic girl,
toiling away for Protestants.

What would your ma say?

Me ma? Lord!

I could never tell her the things I've seen

since coming to this saltbox of a country.

But you could tell me.

What've you seen, darlin'?

I'm a good woman, Detective, but

they took me
to St. Peter's down on Barclay

and I made a vow
on the holy cross to stay silent.

My eternal soul is at risk.

I admire your faith.

But our God, our God, the Catholic God,

he forgives.

Now, I'm here because
a woman was murdered.

Not an innocent woman, mind you,

but which of us are?

- That's gospel, for sure.
- Now take a moment.

Take a moment and think about our Lord,

ask what he considers to be the higher crime.

Speaking the truth, or staying silent,

helping to hide a murder?

I know which one I'd prefer.

The maid,

Dearbhla O'Toole.

Christ, you're cruel, Matthew.

Now, be still, boy.

You come up with
a better way to kill smallpox

and you'll be a richer man
than you brag you were.

I'll be plenty rich again in Liberia.

You talk about Liberia as if it's Eden.

You want your freedom,
a fresh start? It's here.

Carmansville is open air.

Or Weeksville, in Brooklyn,
where the Negro community is growing.

Brooklyn? Never.

Liberia.

I can be a king again in Liberia.

Matthew, our family knows
that you amputated Robert Morehouse's leg,

saved his life, even though
the papers reported otherwise.

The Major paid for my new home

and my medical practice.

That slate has been wiped clean.

Now, don't you cry now, okay?

I want to meet Robert Morehouse.

He backs that Irishman I was talking about.

Morehouse could finance Jasper's first fight!

Do this, Matthew.

Swear on your father's grave.

My brother's grave.

Hiya, stranger! Where you been hiding?

You had Ellen Corcoran's
locket, and you didn't tell me!

Francis, please, I... I was struck dumb.

After all of Kevin's searching,
and there it was, in front of me!

I didn't know what to do,
just that he should have the locket!

You're right, Francis. You're his best friend.

I should've told you,
I should've given it to you to give to him.

I'm sorry, I am!

Can you forgive me?

You can't go keeping the truth from me!

Never! Never again! Never.

Evening, Right Reverend.

Do I know you, gentlemen?

You Episcopalians
practice confession,

just like us Catholics, don't you, now?

So let's switch roles for a minute.

You talk, I listen.

Whoever you are, you cannot
threaten me in my own church.

Apologies.

Let me introduce myself.

Oh, my God!

Forget about God, for now.

Ah!

Tell me about your
relationship to Madame Grindle.

Madame Grindle? I never heard of her!

Bullshit, holy man!

We found the letter, the one you sent
her, the one you tried to burn.

You think I'm that foolish?

No. No, I think you're that desperate.

Nothing you say is true!

Ah! Oh!

Easy, Kevin.

I need that ledger. Where is it?

I don't know anything about any ledger!

What about Dearbhla O'Toole?

Know anything about her?

You killed her, too!

- You had a baby.
- No.

You got your parlor maid pregnant,

forced her to abort her own child

and in doing so, she bled to death!

No! I don't know anything about a ledger!

Corky, he's just an old man!

Come on. Come on. Come on.

You had your chance to come clean,

and now, the whole world's going to find out

what a filthy piece of shit you are.

No.

Maybe it's your hair. You comb it so pretty.

That why Kevin likes you?

It is not that simple, Annie.

People think I can't
understand because I'm young,

but I know things.

Look at Mrs. Haverford.

Corky seems smitten with her, too.

"Smitten" is a word, right?

It is.

See, I can tell he likes her, but,

I don't know why!

She's just plain nasty. Maybe it's her hair, too.

She's blonde.

Huh. Guess hair doesn't matter to Corky.

I mean, Molly's hair looked like roses.

Molly?

Yeah.

Hey, Thompson, you got a minute?

Ah, Christ on a bicycle, Kevin!

A little goddamn privacy?

I have a scoop for the Tribune.

Ahem, you got to settle up with me

before you and Corky have
your little rendezvous.

- But I didn't...
- Ahem.

Have a good evening, James.

See you later, Corky.

All right, now, put your
prick away and grab a pencil.

Havana, Cuba, 1857,

you knocked out
George Sigarra in four rounds.

No matter how many times Sigarra swung,

you wouldn't go down.

I recognized you when you walked in!

Colored King Freeman.

Yes, that was me.

And who are you now?

Word is you've got
Irish Jake McGinnis in town,

looking for a fight.

Not just any fight, something rare.

I found a young Negro,

built like Fort Schuyler.

My thought, Mr. Morehouse.

For 35% of the gate,

I'll train the boy to fight
an exhibition bout against Irish Jake.

Ah!

I love this idea!

Celt versus African,
battling in a civilized matter.

Tickets will be hotter than hell's boiler room.

And if my boy, McGinnis, were to win

this fight, on election day,

he'd be a shoo-in for alderman.

And if your fella should lose,

there would be more money in your pocket.

May the bout be a victory

for the better bruiser.

So, Bishop Onderdonk told a reporter

that he hired you two

to do all of his dirty work.

Thanks, Tommy.

I want

the whole truth,

or I start swinging.

If you're following me, Detective,

it would be best if you picked up your feet.

Oh, Miss Lockwood.

I wish that were the case, but, uh,

assigned to beat patrol.

Boring as can be.

Truth is, though, I was going to
stop by the mission later

because, well, you see, your sister's case,

our captain shut down the investigation.

Expected as much.

I mean, officially, it's closed,

but for me and Kevin,
it's not over 'til we find Julia's ledger.

And her killer.

I know most people curse your sister

for the service
she performed?

Yet that doesn't make
your grieving any less.

Hope you're holding up.

As well as I can be.

Good day.

Ma'am, what can I do for you?

This is your name, yes?

And beside it, "Maya Azulai, age 12.

"Termination of pregnancy on 10 December."

I'm terribly confused.

Your wife's name is not Maya,

nor is she 12 years young.

How much?

Thank you, Kevin Corcoran!

Please, allow the newly
appointed managing editor

of the Tribune to buy a round.

Now, for these two.

James Thompson
the lowly reporter is no more.

Put this story on Mr. Greeley's desk,

was promoted within the hour. Hot damn!

I'm happy for you, Thompson, but I don't
feel much like celebrating.

Kevin, you brought down
a bounder. Feel good about that.

Bounder though he is,
Onderdonk told the truth about two things.

He didn't have Grindle killed
and he doesn't have her ledger.

How come you're so sure?

Well, I interviewed
the two goons he hired

to search Grindle's place, you know,

the Whitesell brothers.
You know them, Andrew.

Neither has the balls to commit murder.

Well, we will find Grindle's killer, yet.

Not if Captain Sullivan has his way.

I told you the case was closed.

Now, what in the name of the risen Christ

are you doing, blighting the Bishop

of the goddamn Episcopal diocese?

Mr. Morehouse.

Mr. Morehouse.

I was just speaking with Detective Corcoran

about the disgraceful manner...

Disgraceful, indeed.

The Bishop's lascivious behavior's a shock.

The church elders could
not be more full of gratitude

for Corcoran's and your hard work.

Yes.

As always, Detective, I'm
quite impressed by your footwork.

Those reporters are
hungry for a statement from you, Captain.

Thanks. Put it on my tab.

The bracelet, it sparkles just like you.

Aw! Too sweet.

You know, I wanted you to have the bracelet

to demonstrate my fondness for you,

so I could ask you to marry me.

Well, now, who else would I marry?

Good to know.

Is something wrong?

No, but... A bracelet, huh?

- It's my mother's.
- Oh, it's pretty.

Only, a ring is more fashionable.

The women on Fifth Avenue
have got diamonds on their fingers

as big as a penny.

We'll pawn the bracelet, then,

get you a proper ring, all right?

There he is, the little champion. You ready?

Go for it. You still training?

Come on, come on, come on, give me.

One more time. Keep it up.

Come on, Willie.

Ah, good morning, Mrs. Reardon.

Morning, Francis.

Kevin. Kevin.

Your mind's on the moon.

My wife, my Ellen, has the purest heart

of any woman that I know,
and, yet, I'm a copper,

I'm supposed to consider the unthinkable.

Is her name in that ledger?

Did Ellen give Grindle
the locket to pay for an...

Stop.

As a copper, you're supposed to
consider all the possibilities.

Like, for instance, someone stole the locket

from your house and used it to pay Grindle.

I got to know, Francis.

We're chasing a phantom ledger.

Where do we go now?

Where we started.

Yeah, yeah, Madame Grindle, a frequent
customer, always buying and selling.

I remember this one.

- And Grindle sold it to you?
- Yeah.

Some time back, months.

Did she say how she came to have it?

I remember her talking about a woman.

What was this?

Yeah, right, a woman.

The Evelyn or Edith.

- Ellen!
- Ellen, yeah!

This Ellen sold this locket to Madame Grindle.

She needed the money to feed her little girl.

The Union Army mail was slow that month.

Her husband's pay was delayed.

You know how unreliable
the postal service is,

even without the war on.

The Madame said she took pity
on the woman's little girl,

who was crying and crying
in front of my shop, aye!

I guess baby killers
don't hate all babies.

Herr Schwarz, I appreciate your time.

Show me that emerald there.

- 'Til tonight?
- Yeah.

There's only four here.

The deal was five.

Worth every penny.

You Jews, you know how to lie.

Keep a man's peace.

Danke schon.

On him who the brave sons
of Usna betray'd!

For every fond eye

He hath waken'd...

So, you got yourself a fiance now.

"Fiance" sounds nice,
but I don't know about Francis Maguire.

You're not going to marry the man?

He's a good fella, but I don't think so.

Heartbreaker, you.

Here, let me do you.

Why, sure.

It's been a long while
since you brushed my hair.

It's about time you relax.

I know you spent a good amount of energy

pleasuring my Corky while
I was in New Orleans.

Wait, what did you say?

Till vengeance is wreak'd

On the murderer's head...

I told you the locket was cursed.

George.

George!

- George!
- What?

She cut her own throat.

Molly and I are
planning a small wedding,

but when I proposed to her she said yes...

Well, sort of.

Didn't seem too happy about it.

Am I asking too much?

I want a wife I can get fat and old with.

But what we want and what we get

are never the same thing, Francis.

Here.

Who are you thinking killed Grindle?

Oh, God, the road's gone cold.

Some cases you never solve,
but I got a feeling,

I got a feeling this one'll
double back around, someday.

You know,

I've been searching months for this locket,

trying to make sense of Ellen leaving,

Maggie's murder.

The search gave me reason to wake up.

And now, I got the locket in my hands

and I realize that
all that effort was for nothing.

Just a chunk of gold.

Cheap gold at that.

Now, I feel further
away from my girls than I ever did.

- Oh, Kevin, no.
- No, no, I'm not giving up, Francis.

I'm just changing battle plans.

And, hey, this way,

I always know where the locket is.

Huh?

Hey, there, fellas!

About time you showed up!

What, your wife
nail your feet to the floor again?

Hey, Maguire, come here a minute, will you?

No!