Crime Story (1986–1988): Season 2, Episode 12 - Femme Fatale - full transcript

Check his blood pressure.

Hey, don't play games with us,
torello, you're in serious trouble!

- You want serious trouble, you'll undo these straps.
- Draw some blood.

You think this is a joke?
You're finished, you understand?

I don't understand
anything. Who are you people?

- Get that needle out, man.
- Torello, unless you want-

Unless you want to end up in federal prison

For the rest of your life,
start talking!

- I want a drink.
- Talk first.

- I want a drink!
- He needs some liquids,

His electrolytes have been
depleted. Get him some water.



- Get him some bourbon.
- Get him some bourbon!

- What time is it?
- 2:30.

- A.M. Or p.M.?
- A.M.

What's your name?

I think we ask
the questions here.

- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.

Well, if you don't
show me some I.D.

Or give me your name
to put me in a talking mood,

I'm gonna dummy up
pretty quick.

It all started
yesterday.

These 24 hours...

Man, oh, man,
it seems like a lifetime.

It was hot, I mean...

It was really,
really hot.



One of my guys and me,
we were finishing up

Some paperwork
in our office.

The air conditioning
was broke down.

It was like working
in the steam room.

- Hey, danny.
- Yeah?

You know what I like
about working

- In vegas
in the summer?

Not a damn thing?

That's right.
What do you say

We go over to angie's and knock
down a couple of real nice cold ones?

I'd really like to,
but I don't have any time.

I told anne we'd take in
a movie tonight.

- Anne?
- Yeah.

Is this something that I should know about?

Listen,
if anything happens

- And I need a back up,
I'll let you know.

- Good night.
- Good night.

are you michael torello?

Mm-hmm.

I was hoping you could spare a few moments.

Mm-hmm.

Does that mean yes?

Mm-hmm.

as I walk along

I wonder
what went wrong

with our lives

lives that was
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...

when least expected

Hey, mike,
hot enough for you?

- What's with the air conditioning?
- Went out this morning.

- Usual? - Yeah, with a lot
of ice, and for my friend-

Mei lan,
mei lan hartwell.

- Bourbon, neat.
- Gotcha.

- Bourbon?
- My father says,

There's only two drinks
worth your time.

- Bourbon and...
- ...Bourbon on the rocks.

What else did your father
say is worth your time?

He didn't. He trusted
me to decide for myself.

- Do you?
- Always.

Your father sounds like
a very, very smart man.

He is.

Or was.

There's a big
difference.

That's why I'm here, mr.
Torello. I'm not sure which it is.

I think my father is
in a lot of trouble.

Sergeant hartman
at the police department

Said you could
probably help me.

What does hartman think that
I can do that he can't do?

He said all he could do is
file a missing person's report.

And he couldn't
do that till tomorrow,

But he told me you were
in charge of a special unit

Assigned
to organized crime?

Yeah?

Well, I believe
my father needs help.

Mei lan told me
that she was afraid

Her father was
in serious trouble.

She wasn't able to reach
him at work or at his home,

And she told me that he often
borrowed large amounts of money.

I wonder if he borrowed
them from legit sources.

It smelled to me that he might
be involved with the outfit.

She was afraid
that he might be hurt,

And I really couldn't
argue with that.

I wanted to help her.

My father's a good man...

But he has a problem.

I thought he'd stopped,

But for the last
couple of months

He's been worried,
distracted.

The last time
I was here,

A couple of men
came to visit him.

They took him
outside to talk.

I've never seen
my father so-

So shaken before.

Thank you.

He wouldn't tell me
what they talked about,

Just that
it was business.

I think...

It's this business.

Hmm.

About 20 grand
worth of markers

Signed by bobby meeker.

- Who is bobby meeker?
- He's a juice man.

I'm sorry?

He's a guy that lends money to
gamblers at a high rate of interest.

- Gamblers?
- Yeah.

Oh, I see.

My mother divorced my father
because he was a gambler.

He'd worked really hard
to stop it.

He...

Looks like he didn't
work hard enough.

Would you help me,
mr. Torello?

I really need it.

Please?

Yeah, sure.

All of hartwell's markers
were made out

To a creep named bobby
meeker, a loan shark.

The desert
around las vegas is called

The world's largest
unmarked graveyard,

And half the guys
they find are there

Because they didn't pay up on
markers to guys like meeker.

What's the matter, mike, you
forgot how to take a night off?

No, I got lonely.

Damn, your timing
is something else.

- You know what that is?
- Don't tempt me.

That is the thickness
of the prettiest

Little t-bone you'll ever want to see.

Charred on the outside,

Rosy in the center...

It was that close
to my mouth.

You know something? As
soon as the phone rang,

I knew who it was.

So, what's happening?

A guy named hartwell
and bobby meeker.

What's meeker got
to do with this?

I don't know, but that's
what we have to find out.

Come on.

I sent danny back
to hartwell's place

To watch mei lan
in case she got restless.

For some reason
I was worried about her.

I mean, really worried
about her.

Nate and joey started
looking into backgrounds

Of mei lan
and hartwell.

I took clemmons with me
and we headed over to a joint

I knew meeker
worked out of.

Strictly low-rollers
and busted dreams.

oh, yeah

One- one more,
that's it.

Hey, mike,
been a long time,

- How have you been?
- Okay, tiny, how are you?

- Say hello to walter clemmons.
- Hey, walter.

You got a few minutes?
I have to talk to you.

Yeah, sure.
Sammy, take over, eh?

A friend of mine
needs me.

Listen, tiny, have you
seen that creep meeker?

Eh, he hasn't
been around.

It's funny, 'cause I was
just thinking about him, too.

I should have done
the world a favor

And stuffed him in a blender
when I had a chance.

Nasty little rag.
He don't deserve to live.

Don't worry,
he won't. Tiny...

We have to find out where
he does his heavy work.

Now, listen to me,
tiny,

Where he takes
his customers

Who have to be taught a
lesson. You know what I mean?

Huh?

Leo, haul him up.

You're three months
behind on your payments.

I'm gonna pay you,
bobby.

I just need
a little time.

Eh, no, no,
you had time,

You had plenty of time,
hartwell.

now...

Time's run out.

Mr. Carp...

That hurt, frank?

Now, you give me
what's mine...

Or all you're
gonna know

From now until you die
is pain.

I don't have it,
bobby.

Mr. Carp!

I can get it,
I can get it!

I've got something
worth more,

A lot more, bobby.
I have it with me.

How much more?

It's big, bobby.
It's real big.

I've been working
on it for months.

You're not gonna
believe it.

Well, it...

Appears hartwell
wasn't lying after all.

Thanks.

- It ain't dangerous, is it?
- Hey,

Do you think hartwell would
be hauling this stuff around

If it was dangerous?

Well, what are we
gonna do with it?

Mr. Carp, you know

What this stuff
is worth

To the right
people, huh?

what we need is

Somebody to handle
this for us,

Somebody who's
connected

All the way
to the top.

What we need is

Ray luca.

I got one.

Now...

Let's finish our business with hartwell.

Hey, who's there?
Come on, move it!

Come on!

Go!

Well, we found hartwell.

And the only thing
I could think of was

How I was going
to tell mei lan.

I sent the rest
of the guys home.

I figured
I could take care

Of what had to be done
all alone.

Everything so far pointed to what
mei lan had thought had happened,

But I still
wasn't convinced.

Killing hartwell
just didn't make sense.

Meeker was not
the kind of guy

To wash 20 big ones
down the drain

Unless he was already
holding a better hand.

Come in.

Where is my father?

- He's dead, isn't he?
- Yes.

unforgettable

that's what you are

unforgettable

though near or far

My mother and father met
during the war in 1938.

She was a teacher.

He was a pilot,

One of the "flying tigers."

I was born
during the war.

My father brought us
to England

After the war,
when I was six.

Back home, I'd always
eaten with chopsticks.

I remember my
first day at school.

There was a spoon
and a fork.

I didn't know
how to use them.

Everybody
laughed at me.

I ran home crying.

My father held me
and told me

To remember that
I was half-chinese,

And that chinese
don't cry.

Then, when I was 12,

I fell off
my roller skates.

I broke my arm.

My father brought me to the
hospital while they fixed it.

It hurt so much,

But I was half-chinese,

So I didn't cry.

Those men who killed my
father are still out there.

unforgettable

in every way

and forever more

that's how you'll stay...

danny, check on that

All-points bulletin
on meeker.

Then check every place we've ever
seen him in, dives, bars, whatever.

And make sure you guys
check the airport,

Bus stations
and train stations, too.

- What's up, doc?
- According to my autopsy,

Mr. Frank hartwell died of
a bullet through his brain.

Mm-hmm. So what's the big surprise?

What couldn't you
tell me on the phone?

The big surprise...

Is this.

What the hell is that?

Somewhere, somehow
mr. Hartwell

Came in contact with radioactive material,

A lot of radioactive
material.

When he got shot through the
head, he was already a dead man,

- He just didn't know it.
- How is that possible?

I don't know, mike,
but however he did it,

He got a massive dose,
and it's got to be found,

Because if it
continues to leak,

I'm gonna need a lot of help at the morgue.

Suddenly, my simple
little murder case

Had exploded in my face
and made no sense at all.

As far as I knew, the only way
to get too close to radiation

In las vegas was to rub
up against a showgirl.

What are you bringing
this to me for, bobby?

Are you trying
to set me up?

Pauli, check him.

All right, you don't have to do that.

Hold that.

Ray, you know
better than this.

He's clean.

You're the only one
I know, ray,

With the class to handle
this kind of stuff.

- Cut the crap, get to it.
- Ray...

This stuff is worth

Millions to the right
country.

Millions and
millions, ray.

It's not worth jack
to me, bobby.

Sure it is, ray.

It's worth anything
you wanna make of it!

Hey, meeker, you sound like
you're desperate to make a sale.

You can write your own ticket with me, ray.

I'm not interested.

Take a hike.

Ray, come on,
you and me-

Ray, anything you want,
anything!

- Get out of here.
- Ray!

On the other hand,

Maybe something
can be done with this.

You've got some calls
to make, counselor.

Billy.

Thanks.

- So...
- So, I just got off the phone

With our man
in the state department.

People there have no objections.
You want to deal with mickey

You got the green
light, ray.

Seems they don't care if the
chinese get the h-bomb or not.

Apparently, they're
only a year away, anyway.

As long as I get my air
routes over the shan mountains,

I don't care
who has it.

A rep from the people's
republic will be in touch,

A rep with full authority
to deal for their government.

We just fixed our first
country, mr. Attorney.

Come a long way
from taylor street, huh?

Yeah.

Hey, david,

Remember this
when you were a kid?

- Nice toss.
- Thanks.

Not bad, not bad.

How did you
figure it?

How did you figure that
the feds would go for this?

I got a knife,

A guy I'm in a beef with has got a knife.

Now, how's
he gonna feel

If all of a sudden
he sees somebody else

Standing next to him
with a knife?

Nervous?

China's got a knife,
russia gets very nervous,

And they worry less
about us.

It's nice.

It's very nice.

You know what international
politics is, david?

It's the street.

It's just the same
as the street.

What are you,
a hustler?

Where are nate
and joey?

Running down some background on hartwell.

All right, listen, I want
you guys to put together

A list of every place in the state
that handles radioactive material,

And I want everything we've got
on hartwell as soon as you get it.

Listen, "tiny"
gagliasso called.

He said he spotted meeker
and one of his goons.

Meeker got away,

But tiny grabbed
one of the goons

And sort of made...

a citizen's arrest.

See you later.

I got a call from tiny.

It seems that one of
meeker's guys wandered in,

Looking and feeling
pretty sick.

Tiny spontaneously decided
to make a citizens' arrest.

I gotta tell you something
about tiny's citizens' arrests.

They probably violate
a half a dozen

City, state and federal
statutes

Against unlawful
detention,

Bodily harm
and kidnapping,

But on the other hand...

Hey, boy.

I didn't know
where else to take him.

We don't open
till five.

I figured this
would be okay.

Hmm, gosh.

you son of a-

Hey, this is a friend
of mine, carp,

And you ain't gonna do
nothing but be nice to him.

Now, tell him where meeker
stashes his merchandise.

The neon graveyard.

Excellent police work, tiny.
Excellent police work.

You couldn't really miss it.

It glowed in the dark,
and it was no sign.

I found it.

Lucky me.

Stop right there.
Put your hands over your head.

Don't touch
the canister.

All of a sudden I got
these guys in white suits

All over the place.
I was looking around

For the flying saucer
they fell out of.

But they were from the
atomic energy commission,

And they weren't
kidding.

I was expecting
something else.

Bobby...

Another one of these.

What's the matter?

It'll loosen you up.

So, is it an old
chinese custom

To send women
to do the dirty work?

There's nothing dirty
about working

For chairman
mao, mr. Luca.

And contrary to your
corrupt value system,

We don't discriminate
between the sexes.

If I'm so corrupt,

Maybe you shouldn't have
anything to do with me.

I detest you,
mr. Luca.

You prey on men's
weaknesses.

You're a parasite,

And one day you'll be
wiped out forever,

But for now I'm forced
to deal with you.

And offer you the only thing that means anything to you
- money.

- I'm not interested in money.
- Oh, really?

How un-american!

I want certain concessions
from your government

Concerning future
business dealings

In the area called
"the golden triangle."

What sort
of concessions?

Available trade routs,

Air rights,

And the freedom to operate
flights through chinese air space

Over hunan province
without any interference.

You're asking
a great deal, mr. Luca.

I'm offering
a great deal.

The a.E.C. Recaptured
the container.

How are you going to get it
out of the plutonium plant?

That's none
of your business.

All I need from you

Is a guaranteed passage
out of the country.

It can be arranged.

My name is
lieutenant torello.

I'm an agent with the
department of justice, okay?

He's not hot anymore.

I suppose you'll
give me some answers.

What kind of answers?

What is this place?

Sure, torello,
you ask the questions,

And we'll roll over,

'cause you have
a j.D. Shield.

Let me tell you
something, pal,

I don't care what kind of I.D. You got.

You make $16,500
a year,

And you had your hands on
something that would have put you

On easy street
for the rest of your life.

Now, think about it,
torello.

What would you have done
if you were in our position?

Pray that I don't
get loose.

Take off the restraints.

- Take off the restraints?
- Now.

How do you do?

I'm burt henshaw,
federal agent.

Yeah, so what?

I am sorry about the rough
stuff, but we had to be sure.

I talked to justice.
Hallahan says

That the attorney general
himself will vouch for your story.

- You checked me out?
- You're a pretty popular guy.

Now, I've got a couple of your
bulls in my office right now,

I put some babysitters on them,
but they say that won't keep them

From tearing this place
apart, if I don't spring you.

Oh, and I got a call
a couple of minutes ago

That your girlfriend is

Out by the main gate
looking for you.

- My girlfriend?
- Yeah.

Mei lan?

You guys better have
a doctor check her out, too.

She may have been
exposed to this stuff.

It was in her
father's car.

Take care of it.

What's this all
about, henshaw?

Come with me.

Now, you listen to me.
You've got exactly ten seconds

To pick up that phone and
dial the department of justice.

You've got
five seconds!

what are you deaf,
or just stupid?

Pick it up!

This is a top secret
government facility

Used to process
uranium-238

Into plutonium-239.

Weapons-grade
plutonium.

Enough in each
of those rods to equal

100 times the destructive
power of hiroshima.

In its raw state,
it's not explosive,

Needs further processing and a
special detonating device for that.

However, a single rod

Could put any
nation on earth

Into the nuclear club.

Do you think I could have
some water, please?

I've been cooped up here
for quite a while.

I'll stay right here
on the bed.

Honest.

Up ahead are
the loading docks

Where we ship the canisters in cargo vans.

From here they go to
warhead assembly plants

Where they stick them in
the nose cones of I.C.B.M.S.

Till yesterday, hartwell was
deputy security chief here.

Now he's disappeared
with 10 lbs. Of plutonium.

Do you have any idea what hartwell
was going to do with this stuff?

We were hoping you had an answer to that.

You want to tell these guys we're
working for the same government?

What is it with these guys
in these ice-cream suits?

- And cheap ones at that!
- Are you all right?

I'm fine, relax.
Everything is fine.

What are you guys
doing here?

Joey, didn't I ask you
to stay back at the office?

- We finally got the stuff on hartwell.
- Yeah?

He had a daughter all
right, but she's dead.

- What?
- She died in china back in '47,

When she was
three years old.

Well, if his
daughter's dead,

Then who in the hell
is this girl in this building?

Come on.

- nate, joey,
check the front gate.

Please, I got kids.

Do as I say, and you'll live to see them.

So it gets to be about
10:30, and he don't call.

He calls when he closes, so I
can come down and get the cash,

so we don't get
in no trouble

Taking it
to the night deposit.

Ah, what am I going
to tell his mother?

Owner says she took one of
the cars from the garage,

A yellow '60 merc,

Nevada plates,
a69728.

Yeah, he called in.

Poor bastard, he thought he was just going

- For another ride.
- He's not the only one.

- You want roadblocks, mike?
- No, but what I do want is

The list of every airstrip
within a 25-mile radius,

And see if we got anything
on the all-points bulletin

We put out on meeker.

- Torello, what are you doing here?
- My job.

It's a.E.C. Business,
we'll handle it from here.

- Like you handled everything else?
- We don't need your help.

Don't talk to me,
porcupine-head.

Look, henshaw, you
operate a nuclear facility

That's about as easy
to get into as a bridge club.

You also have a woman
out here somewhere

With enough plutonium to turn
this whole state into a scar.

Now, I suggest that you set up
roadblocks within a 20-mile radius,

And that you do it
pretty damn quick.

What's up, mike? I thought
you didn't want roadblocks.

I don't, but I don't want
henshaw around, either.

We have to find that woman
before she flies out of here,

And I mean it,
right now.

That's right...

No, no, it's yellow,
a yellow car.

Yellow!

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, I said mercury,
mercury,

Like in the planet.

No, look, lady,
I don't know one either.

Just look
in the parking lot-

Damn it!

Mike, we've called
every airport in the area

And some she couldn't
even get to in 24 hours.

Well, then she's got to be
using a private airstrip, danny,

And taking off from the desert hard pack.

Yeah, but how do
we know from where

And who the hell knows
when she's leaving?

Mike, it's the state police.
They found meeker.

Where is he?

Hanging around
on the roof.

We would have been happy
to bring him in for you.

That's all right, we
prefer to talk to him here.

Thanks a lot.
Nice work.

Let me help you out.

Ms. Wong,

My name is paul,
I'm the pilot.

Your company is
well named.

In my country the golden
dragon is a sign of success.

Bobby, every time I see you,
you're in some kind of trouble.

Now, let's try it again,
shall we? Where is she?

I had a deal
with luca, okay?

I don't know
where the girl is.

- All right, bobby...
what?

- Bobby!
- What?

You hang around here, we're gonna
be back later to lock you up, okay?

Hey, torello,
can we take him down?

Meeker got aced out
of the deal,

But he never knew
the girl.

However, he told us that he
had made a deal with ray luca.

That was enough.

He didn't have
to tell us much more.

I've got to get
the cargo there.

My people are waiting
for the plane.

Is it possible?

If we fly low, maybe.
Otherwise, radar will pick us up.

They fly low. That's where I need to go.

My people will have
a plane waiting there.

Well, if your people don't
show, I hope you like tequila.

let's go.

Look out!

Are you michael torello?

Mm-hmm.

I was hoping you could spare a few moments.

Mm-hmm.

Does that mean yes?

Would you help me,
mr. Torello?

Please?

I really need it.

Come in.

torello.

When I was
a little girl,

The japanese left
my village in ruins.

Then the russians
came.

They left
my father dead.

We need the plutonium,
michael.

I really didn't want
to like you.

I really didn't.

that's why, darling

it's incredible

that someone

so unforgettable

thinks that I am

unforgettable

too

I really didn't want
to like her, either.