Crime Story (1986–1988): Season 2, Episode 11 - Seize the Time - full transcript

Last week on crime story...

if I should
jump into the ocean...

Welcome to
the moulin rouge.

You like my little place? Oh, yes.

You know, iris marshall here,

Lt. Vanalden,
nevada criminal bureau.

The investors heard about the
firebombing. They want to back out.

Well, I guess somebody doesn't like the
idea of the coloreds owning a casino.

You think it's
a race thing.

I wanna know where it says
that a black-owned casino

Can't share in
your action



Without someone comin' at 'em
with a tank or a mortar.

That's what
I want to know.

So how's your mother doing?
How often do you call her?

- Every couple of weeks.
- No, no, listen, byron,

You have to call her
every week no matter what.

what do you want?

Oh, shut up!

What we have to do is get a
guy inside the moulin rouge.

- You studying to be
some kind of negro?

but no one
to love me...

It seems everything
I touch falls apart.

It takes me places in my
music I can't go any other way!

Bull!

And from now on,
it's you, me, your habit,



And channel three.

I don't have the money.
If I did

I wouldn't be needing the
additional credit, would I?

You wanna help
me, maxie?

- I'll think about it.
- You think fast.

I heard it was a cop
from the nevada criminal bureau.

I don't like shake downs,
and I hate dirty coppers.

Well, you can't
prove squat.

- You've got to trust somebody.
- Why?

Because it's all
coming down around you.

Torello!

Drop it!

I got real close,

But I ain't goin'
that way again.

What do you think?

He's fabulous,
what can I say?

- I want you to meet my new partners.
- Partners?

Byron, it's real good
to meet you, man.

Man...

We gonna get fat
off this hog.

as I walk along

I wonder
what went wrong

with our lives

lives
that were so strong

and as I
still walk on

I think
of the things

we've done together

while our hearts
were young

I'm a-walking
in the rain

tears are falling
and I feel the pain

watching
all the players go by

some live and others die

and I wonder

I wah-wah-wah-wah
wonder

why

why, why, why, why, why

I don't walk away

and I wonder

what makes me stay

runaway

run, run, run, run,
runaway

run, run, run...

- Good evening, sir.
- How you doin'?

How are you
this evening?

Hello, suzanne.

- Hi, mike, how are you?
- Okay.

Suzanne.

You've met marcus st. John, haven't you?

- Yeah, we've met.
- Yeah.

After all you've done
for iris and this club,

You two are very special
guests of the house

Whenever you come
to the moulin rouge.

- Thanks.
- Now, if you'll excuse us,

Miss terry
is on deadline.

- See you later, mike.
- Mm-hmm.

- Walter.
- Suzanne.

St. John reminds me of the guy
who sold me my first car.

It lasted two days.

Go on, they're so sweet.

They're more than that.

A lot more.

They're about the only things on
this planet I truly care about.

The rest of the world can get
along without franklin himes' help.

That's awful cold,
franklin.

Well, maybe you ought
to try to warm me up.

Come to our charity dinner as my guest.

Now that you've
got partners,

Means you can
afford a day off.

Why don't I just
give a donation?

I don't fit in
with those people,

And furthermore,
I don't want to.

Beautiful woman like you
fits in anywhere.

Snatched the words
right out of my mouth.

Oh, hi, baby.
You know franklin.

Yeah.

He makin'
a move here?

Hey, detective, it's
not that way at all.

Why don't you
lighten up?

Sip on a cool drink
and talk to me.

I'll be in the office.

So, you happy
with your new partners?

Well, it allows me to take
a night off and go steppin'.

That is, if I had
somebody to do the askin'.

Well, I'd sure enough
be askin', except that...

I've got some other
questions to ask.

Play it, play it!

Thank you very much. We're
going to take a little break,

And we'll be
right beck.

Hey, mike...

- I got some good news for you.
- What's up?

I'm goin' out
on my first tour,

Fronting
my own band.

It's mostly dives,
you know,

But I get a chance to go
up and down the east coast

And I finally get a
chance to play the apple.

It's what I always
dreamed of.

I'm proud of you, kid. You
really turned your life around.

You had a lot
to do with that.

I owe you a lot,
mike.

You owe it to yourself
to stay clean.

Hey, I'm a
used-to-be junkie,

Living the straight life.

All that soap opera jive
you put me through?

That was for keeps, man.

I'd rather hear that
than anything else.

I'll see you later.

We're gonna renovate
the main stage,

And we're gonna book the top
headliners, make this club

Like an apollo theater
of the west.

Yeah, but listen, baby,
you're telling me why,

I'm asking you
from where?

The man's got a fleet
of taxis in oakland.

Yeah, and I'm checking out
that fleet of taxis.

I'm checking that man out
all the way to grammar school.

This is a nightclub
business.

We don't
save souls here,

And the law of immaculate
conception is definitely out.

All we deal with is the
nevada gaming commission,

And they say
my partners are clean.

And besides,
I am the last person

To cast stones or even look
sideways at a person's past.

Now, everybody does just
what they got to to get by,

So why don't you live and
let live a little, sugar?

I'm a cop. It's my job to see
people for exactly who they are.

And I don't care
how hard I gotta look.

Or where.

Son of a-

Wouldn't have shot us
over some rotgut wine!

Will you just drive?

388,000 bucks, and change,
packed into 14 crates of wine.

I still don't understand why that
dummy watchman reported the money.

He said he thought his boss was
giving him a test or something.

Yeah, iq test.
Well, believe me, he flunked.

Yeah, well,
if he took that dough,

He would've been looking over his
shoulder for the rest of his life.

Looking for who,
the mob?

That's not how the mob ships
money. They use couriers.

This stuff was addressed to
a local wholesaler, right?

Yeah, bartlett
food and beverage.

Only they've been bankrupt for over
a year. They're out of business.

That doesn't make sense. Do you
have a list of their creditors?

Yeah, right here. Includes 23
local restaurants and casinos.

All right, we're gonna
run this thing both ways.

This stuff was shipped out
from san francisco, right?

- Yep.
- Let me see.

Get on the phone to the
chief of detectives out there.

See if they have anything
on the shipping company,

The winery, or any
of their employees.

Nate and I will run down
the names on this list,

See if we get any links between
bartlett food and beverage

- And these guys in the bay area.
- Good.

People who holler and
moan about oppression

Are just plain lazy
or blind,

Because all you gotta do
is seize the time,

Seize the day,
seize the money.

He doesn't care what-

Byron, my man.

No, that's cool,
marcus.

I was just looking
for iris.

I'll come back
later.

- I gotta get some-
- you gotta what?

Talk to that white cop
you always suckin' up to?

Hey, wait, I don't talk to him
about nothing but personal stuff.

He's just a friend,
all right?

Well, it must make you feel real
good to have a friend like that.

And that's what we're
gonna do, byron.

We're gonna make you
feel good.

Ain't we, benny?

Yeah, you gonna
feel good.

Go on,
get him out of here!

- Hold him!
- What the hell you think we're doing?

Hold him,
damn it!

How you doin', ray?

Paulie.

Hey, max.

Get max a drink,
will you, delores?

How much weight
you lose?

10 pounds.
What do you think?

Yeah, 10 pounds
between his ears.

So what's up, max?

I was just talking
to manny.

He was asking
about business.

What do you need
to draw down this month?

Let's see...

The modernization
of our container fleet,

Increased personnel,

Our own tanker.

Talkin' maybe six mil.

That reminds me...

Get delgado in caracas
for me, all right, dolores?

Use the phone
inside, huh?

Hey, boss...

How do you think she
can walk like that?

I betcha her mother
put starch in her milk.

Uh, manny was also asking
about this hong kong thing.

How close are we?

The last time I talked to
david he was still negotiating.

I'll give him a call,
see what's going on.

I said no, we are not prepared
to go one penny above 17 million.

That's right, not even
for prime waterfront property.

I know that was
my final offer yesterday.

It's my final offer
today.

You call me tomorrow,
it'll be my final-

- kwan, can you hold on
one minute?

Yeah, hold on,
all right? Yeah.

Yeah, yeah,
it's abrams.

Hiya, ray. Yeah, I got him
on the other line right now.

I don't know.
He's a tough cookie.

Oh, yeah, we'll work it out. He
wants it to work as much as we do.

Yeah, yeah.

I'll get back to you as soon
as we close it, all right?

Kwan, are you still there?
Good.

What's the matter, you don't have
a word for "final" in chinese?

What are you
doing here?

Sit down.

Thanks.

You look great.

Thank you.

Kwan!

I'm sorry, I can't hear you. What?

No, the connection
is breaking up.

Look, I'll call you back,
all right?

I'll-call-you-back.

It's those long distance
connections-

They break up
so easily.

Yes, and it's so easy
to be misunderstood.

Now, that reminds me
of a couple I know.

Tell me their story.

It's an old story.

Boy meets girl,
boy gets girl,

Boy loses girl...

Then girl suddenly
reappears in boy's life?

And just as suddenly girl
walks out on boy.

But then...

What happens then?

Oh, I don't know.

She swears never
to think about him.

Then she thinks
about him.

And she thinks
she's been too hasty.

Maybe too harsh?

After all, he wouldn't
tell her how to do her job,

Does she miss the boy?

Maybe.

Maybe...

I have a suggestion
for the boy and the girl.

Yeah?

Annie, where's annie?
Annie, annie...

Yeah, where is she? How come
you don't bring her around?

I'll bring her around
when you're not around.

What do you guys
got for me?

I checked out
st. John's cab company.

The man's fleet
is four cabs, four.

At that rate he'd have
to drive fares to alaska

To raise the scratch
to buy the moulin rouge.

Well, listen to this.

Nathan and I ran a paper search
on bartlett food and beverage.

It's assets were auctioned
out of bankruptcy.

The new owner is
a blind corporation,

Chartered out
of delaware.

- And the chief
shareholder is...

Marcus st. John.

Mike, for you.

Torello.

No, no, listen,
you got it all wrong.

It's not him,
I'm telling you.

I don't think the kid had
an enemy in the world, danny.

Except the one
that he beat here.

Byron was no
overdose victim.

No.

Coroner checked him.
He had no new tracks.

He was murdered.

No doubt about it.

Mike...

We got company.

The first time
I saw him,

He was still
wearing his uniform.

Skinny as a rake.

I thought he wanted
a pass to the show...

Till he took out that guitar.
Lord have mercy...

When byron had
it goin',

He could make
angels whisper,

Demons holler,

All over those strings.

He'd start out
with the blues

And then put something
of his own on top.

He was taking music
somewhere it's never been.

I guess we'll
never know where.

walter, you were right.

I can't... Look the other way no more.

The other way
about what?

My partners.

Are you saying they're
responsible for byron?

I don't know that.

But I do know
marcus and billy,

They are two scary cats,

Right through those smiles.

And they got franklin doing
something to the books.

I haven't quite figured
it all yet.

Receipts for supplies
that have never been delivered,

Jobs that have
never gotten done.

And sometimes there's
a lot of cash.

We don't do that kind
of business.

I knew it.
They're washing money.

I've noticed franklin.

He's not an equal partner
with marcus and billy.

He takes orders,
strictly a numbers man.

And they never let him
out of their sight.

If we can put the pressure on him
for playing around with the books,

Maybe he'll spill his guts
about what his pals are up to.

If we can get him off by himself
without tipping off the others...

Well, he's
sweet on me.

Mike, I need a minute.

I don't want her
involved in any way.

- All right, now look, walter.
- Mike, not this time.

- Not this lady.
- I don't like the idea either.

Then leave her
out of it.

This is a
stone killer crew.

I don't want what happened
to byron to happen to her.

- I want her out of there.
- I thought you wanted to take st. John and his phony crew.

You wanted him
worse than anyone.

We haven't got a case.
She's our only way in.

All we want
to ask her to do

Is to get franklin
out on his own, that's all.

What do you say?

Mr. St. John, what
can we do for you?

From what I hear, mr. Luca,
about anything you want.

People tell me you're
wired to everything

But the neon
in this town.

There's no money
in neon.

Mr. Luca's
a very busy man.

Would you mind
getting to the point?

We are, as you know,

In the nightclub
and casino business,

But we are
also moving

Into the foreign
commodities market.

And we need to move
a large amount of capital

Across
international borders.

Now, these are areas
we believe

Mr. Luca has great
expertise in,

And we would be willing to pay
handsomely for some of that expertise.

How handsomely?

15% on every dollar
moved out of the country,

And sheltered.

What do you
need us for?

You've got
the moulin rouge.

Well, we are
fortunate enough

That we expect
our volume

To exceed
what we can handle in our...

Little casino.

In that case we congratulate
you on your success.

Let me discuss your proposal
with my advisors.

I'm always on the lookout

For partners
who understand business.

I want to thank you for a
wonderful dinner, mr. St. John.

And thank you for closing
your casino for our function.

It's very generous
of you.

You're quite welcome.

You know, it's ironic that your very
success here raises certain questions.

I mean, where are our
other negro entrepreneurs?

Our negro
small businesses?

When will I be able to
walk into an executive suite

And see a negro
managing director?

Well, the fact
of the matter is...

Only when we seize upon our
god-given right to make money,

Only when we can create great
wealth and therefore create jobs,

Only then can we achieve
any meaningful integration.

Now, if you'll
excuse me.

Exactly my sentiments.

You know, this puts me in mind of a
story my grandfather used to tell me,

About the time he was fishing on
the sioux indian reservation...

Do you believe this?

The cause
is righteous, but...

There are better things to
do on a beautiful evening.

Hmm.

Then we're wasting time
sitting at this table.

Depends.

On?

What you had
in mind?

Well, we sure can't talk about
it at this table, now can we?

Catch you later.

You be a gentleman now.

Man! Those guys talk
like that all the time?

"sioux indian
reservation?"

I thought I was
gonna fall out.

Well, it's definitely not
prime-time entertainment.

Oh no, but you are.

I'd say you're
nothing but prime time.

Why don't you
ride with us?

Go to hell!

Come on, baby.

Okay, fun is over.

I don't know what you're
talking about, man.

Talking about 10 years in
the penitentiary, franklin.

Minimum.

No judge is gonna lay time
on me for marks on a page,

Not even a white judge.

Black or white will see
the same thing, franklin.

A whole lot of money that's
got nothing to do with gambling

Moving through
the moulin rouge...

And a whole lot of fancy
footwork covering it up.

Hey, that's my diary. I
write in my own secret code.

It's income tax evasion.

And the "g" gets very upset when
people don't pay their bills.

You got family,
right, franklin?

They got nothing
to do with this!

Let's talk about
this, franklin.

Let's talk
about your family.

10 years is a long, long time
for your kids to go

Without seeing
their father.

Man, let me
out of here!

You got no right
keeping me like this!

The chair's a lot more
comfortable than standing up.

- You ain't got no charges on me or nothing!
- Hey!

Tell you what we're
gonna do, franklin.

We're gonna start all over
again from the beginning.

Let me tell you
about family.

Byron was family.
His father was my friend.

We're coming down on you, and
what happens to your family,

You did to them,
not us.

Put on a fresh
pot of coffee,

And we're gonna start
all over again.

Good, so what
can I do?

What we
talked about.

Comes in on the 24th,
from oakland to vegas.

No mistakes this time. My men
handle it every step of the way.

We run it through the club,
it goes to switzerland.

I need to know it's
gonna get there, ray.

You know what's gonna stop your
weight from getting to switzerland?

What?

Nothing, marcus.

Nothing's gonna
stop it.

I want a free pass.

It ain't gonna be no
free passes, franklin.

Then what the hell
are we talking for?

Probation.

You talk, you spend
a few days in jail.

The d.A. Sees to it
that you get probation

Instead of doing hard time
for income tax evasion.

Or life for murder.

Look, man, I had
nothing to do with that.

Oh, here we go again.
Fairy tales.

Look, I was in the office
fixing the books.

We got a system for doing that so
nobody can figure out what we're doing.

It was me, marcus,
and billy.

Then byron.

Now, look, man, I had
nothing to do with that.

I was just
watching out.

I'm not responsible.

They made me
do that.

I am just
the bookkeeper.

I never
wanted byron-

Where'd the money
come from, franklin?

China white.

They bring it
in from oakland.

There's some
chinese connection,

Out of the
golden triangle.

That's where the junk
came from that iced byron.

Man, all I do
is the books.

Now, look...

You said I'd get
probation, right?

I'd spend a few days
in the joint.

And then I'd get
out, right?

That's all that's gonna
happen to me, right?

That's all that's gonna
happen to you, franklin.

- This is private.
- Not anymore.

Police.

This meeting is adjourned.

- You're under arrest, st. John.
- For what, torello,

Trying to give
negro kids a job?

No, for killing
them in alleys.

Suzanne?
- In here, david.

Baby, have I had
a hell of a day.

I have spent all day
arguing with people

On three different
continents.

I mean it's 11:30.

I think it's damned uncivilized
to work until 11:30 at night.

I'm sorry. I am very, very,
very sorry about dinner,

And I promise I'm gonna
do everything in my power

- To make amends.
- And how do you plan to do that?

From china,
we have food.

Ooh...

From France,
we have champagne.

Ahh...

And from the south side of chicago,

We have some
beautiful sounds.

How am I doing?

You're getting
warmer.

If I were you I would pop
that cork right now.

Yeah.

And what about
your day?

Oh, busy.

What are you
working on?

Uh... A follow-up
on the moulin rouge story.

How's it coming?

I don't know.

You think
torello's right?

I mean, I like him but I think
he's made a big mistake.

I think he could be destroying
one of the most interesting things

That's happened in the
negro business community.

- St. John?
- Yeah.

What does torello
have against him?

I don't have any idea what
torello has against st. John,

But I sure as hell know
what I've got against him.

He's a phony.

St. John makes a
three-dollar bill look real.

He uses the people, the
really legitimate people,

Who are trying to carve
out a place for themselves.

St. John uses them
as a front

To line his own
pockets and that stinks.

It damages
the credibility

Of every person
in this country

Who's locked inside of a
box because of his color.

Cheers.

I think you would
say that...

Even negroes should
have an equal opportunity

To be among
the exploiters

As well as
the exploited?

- yeah.
- Look, I don't agree with that politically,

But I can see
his point... Racially.

Suzanne,
that's rubbish.

St. John's
a gangster, over and out.

Oh, david, you really know
how to sweet-talk a girl.

Why are we talking about
the problems of the world?

Why the hell are
we talking at all?

Because it's important
to me, david.

You never talk
like some fat cat

Giving lip service to
the poor oppressed negroes.

You're out there
doing it!

Fighting for everything
you believed in.

And I still believe
you want to.

And I want you to.

You want some
more champagne?

I don't know, mike.
All he would say

Is it had something
to do with franklin.

I couldn't
get him to-

Someone put a picture
of his family in a shiv

On a dinner tray
along with this note.

We got the trustee
who brought him his dinner,

He says he doesn't
know anything.

He says it must have been
under the plate.

St. John's attorney's
been here the last hour.

We got nothing to hold
him on anymore, mike.

Walter, you better
get iris out of town.

I think it's outrageous that two of our
community's most distinguished businessmen

Have been treated
like common criminals.

There are laws that
protect innocent people

Against the flagrant
abuse of police power

Evident in this
investigation.

Isn't it true that-

False arrest and
illegal detention

Will be the next subject
of litigation, I assure you.

That's all.
No more questions.

Sir, one more word, please.
Please, sir, please.

Thank you.

I don't know why I let
you talk me into this.

Common sense?

Ain't nothin'
common-sensical

About leaving a place
you put your blood into.

I agree.

So, maybe we should just tell
st. John that you made a mistake.

I'm sure he'd love
to see you again.

You got a smart mouth, walter
clemmons, you know that?

I'm just talkin',
baby.

The club will be here
when you get back.

Good morning, ladies
and gentlemen

And welcome
to flight 314...

Will you?

You gotta ask?

You're something else,
walter clemmons.

You sure are.

You be careful,
huh?

I want nothing but grief
for st. John for doing byron.

But I'd just as soon
have somebody

To argue with
when I get back.

Then you make sure
you get back.

You're something else.

But you still got
a smart mouth.

You sure about
that, paulie?

I checked it out
myself, boss.

This st. John...
One slick son of a-

It figures, ray.

All the cash from
their china white operation

Is pouring
right into vegas.

Yeah. That's a big score, boss,

A real big score.
Let's take it.

Paulie, what am I
always telling you?

"shut up, you idiot."

"stop using your head
for a hat rack."

No, paulie.

I know.
"you're phenomenal."

I said we're
businessmen now.

We don't make
gangster moves anymore.

But it's a lot
of money, boss.

Hey, counselor...

I got a job...

That's tailor-made
just for you.

Great, they got off.

Congratulations. Is that
what you're fishing for?

I'm fishing for the human
being I used to know.

- I'm right here.
- Where?

All I see are expensive
suits and $20 hair cuts.

I'm sorry.

We can't all be as saintly as
billy mayfield and marcus st. John.

Nobody's talking
about saints.

You oughta
listen to yourself.

I told you before,
these guys are gangsters.

The only opportunity
they are interested in

Is the opportunity
to line their own pockets

With poor people's
money.

Don't even talk to me
about gangsters, all right?

I gotta go to work.

You wanna know the truth about your
patron saints of black business?

You be at the freight yards
tonight, any time around midnight,

And you tell me
what you see.

What?
What will I see?

What your "community
leaders" are really up to.

You'll see them filling the arms of
their brothers and sisters with junk,

And sending the money through
the moulin rouge for laundering,

Then, you know, getting it
out of the country.

- How do you know this?
- Because that's my business.

Excuse me.

Oh, hey, suzanne,
sit down.

Suzanne, hi.

No thanks, mike.

Walter, I know we haven't
agreed on a lot of things

And I'm not sure
we ever will...

Well, it's uh...

You've always
struck me as a-

As a woman who
wants stuff fixed,

Like you want to put
band aids on problems.

"I want change," basically
and fundamentally.

Maybe.

Maybe you're right, maybe
I've just been chasing a dream.

We've always had
the same dream,

Just different
ways of getting there.

Yeah, I guess so.

I guess I've let
my dream cloud

What was really
going on in my life,

And in my job.

Walter, I can't
reveal my sources...

But I have something to tell
you and I think you oughta know.

That's it.

Let 'em know
we're here.

Okay, let's go,
let's go!

You and joey get on
the other side of 'em.

As soon as you see 'em touch
the stuff, make your move.

You bet.

Come on, come on,
come on, move it.

Come on, move it!

Come on, come on,
come on, move it!

Nobody moves!

Hey, cover
this guy!

Turn around!
Turn around!

Hey, man, wait.

Hey, man,
we brothers, man.

We can't be doing
this to each other.

Like byron?

No, man, you
don't understand-

I understand,
st. John.

You are a black man's
worst nightmare.

St. John got away?

Stop or I'll shoot!

No, he's
with walter.

Well, you got
your story.

Yes, but it's not
the one I wanted.

Mr. Chen, my name
is david abrams,

I'm ray luca's
attorney.

As I mentioned,

I have experienced
some difficulties

Distributing
my product.

I have lost some
key personnel.

Oh, really.

I'm real sorry
to hear about that.

Maybe you've been dealing
with the wrong distributor.