Diagnosis Murder (1993–2001): Season 1, Episode 7 - Vanishing Act: Part Two - full transcript

Previously on Diagnosis Murder.

Go, go, go, go, go, go!

Listen, Schroeder,

this isn't easy, but, uh,

I don't have any choice.

So, you, uh, think you
found some dirty cops?

I got two words for you guys.

Steve Sloan.

Come on, man, that boy scout?

Schroeder, you
saying you want in?

Yeah, you could
deal me in for, uh...



I don't know, maybe...

How about an equal share?

Schroeder?

There's a body on the
floor in the bathroom.

Looks like he's been shot.

That's him.

I saw him go in there just
before I heard the shots.

They say it was your gun
that killed Schroeder. Uh-huh.

Did they also mention that the money
that was stolen from the evidence room

was found in my locker?

I don't believe this.

Oh. At least you know it's
one of those four police officers

because any one of them could
have had access to your locker.

I found something.



I know this name.

What? T. Raffanti.

Listen, you, um...

Ever see Tommy Raffanti around?

Uh, yeah, he's still
around. You looking for him?

Hey, Tommy, a friend of mine said
you knew a cop named Schroeder.

Your friend's misinformed.

I don't know any cops.

A little advice.

You don't need a friend
with that kind of trouble

and getting involved
could be very unhealthy.

You know what I mean.

Jack, what a surprise.

Yeah, I was just leaving.

Oh, yeah, uh, you two
used to, uh, go out together.

Yeah, long time ago.

Wait a minute.

What's this?

Is that Schroeder's?

Well, he didn't have it
on the last time I saw him.

And it's not mine.

Why would I want
to kill Schroeder?

Because he's had an
affair with your wife.

I told you I wasn't very good.

If you're going to
play being a detective

perhaps you'd better learn.

Detective, do you know
someone named Tommy Raffanti?

No. Why, should I?

He might have had something to
do with Detective Schroeder's death.

You wanna know why
Schroeder was killed?

You ask your son.

Oh, I did. That's how I found
out about Schroeder's private file.

Who's there?

Dr. Sloan!

You all right?

So far.

Whoever shot up this place must have
went out the back before we got here.

Well, who are you?

We came to take you with us.

Uh, wait right here.

♪

My father insisted
that all his children

learn to play something
besides the horses.

You still play very well, Gus.

You used to play pretty good.

No, not like you.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Come on, you take
the left hand. Let's go.

Tommy said you
had some problems.

Your men may have
saved my life, Gus.

How have you been?

I'm glad you asked me.

I have got a pain in
my side. It's killing me.

I just thought,
maybe you might...

Pull up your shirt.

Okay, let's have a look here.

You know, I wouldn't trust anybody
else but you to look at me, Doc.

Isn't that what I
always say, Tommy?

He always says that.

This is the guy that
pulled five slugs out of me

then patched me
up as good as new.

Tommy's heard that
story. I like that story.

Oh. Yeah, it's right here.

You wouldn't bring me over here

just for a house
call, would you, Gus?

Uh...

I heard that Charlie
Stewart's boy

was down at Bruno's
snooping around.

Asking questions
about Tommy Raffanti.

Now, Tommy is
very important to me.

Jack was there at
my request, Gus.

I'm kind of up against it.

My son, Steve, has been framed

for the murder
of a fellow officer.

Hmm.

Well, I haven't heard
anything about the killing.

What do you know
about this, Tommy?

News to me.

You see, I try
not to get involved

with the day-to-day
stuff anymore.

That's why I have people
working for me, you know?

You think this
could be my liver?

Liver's on the other side.

Ah.

You see, when Charlie
Stewart got sick the first time,

he asked me to
take care of his kid.

And then you came to me and
told me Jack could be a great doctor.

So, because I trust your
word, and as a favor to Charlie,

I invested in the kid.

Good investment, Gus.
He is a great doctor.

I don't want to see
my investment wasted.

Jack's better off if
he sticks to medicine.

As you found out today,
this is serious business.

Yeah.

You can put your shirt in.

Well, what is it? I
mean, I can take it.

Well, medically speaking, Gus, you are
suffering from distension of the abdomen.

Give that to me in English.

Gus, stay away from the
sausage and the peppers.

Okay, stand by.

Roll tape. Three, two, one.

Reporting from Community
General Hospital this is Ed Greene,

and I am here with
Delores Mitchell,

the shop steward
with the nurses' union.

Delores, how are the
negotiations progressing?

We've made our counter-proposals

but the hospital
refuses to respond.

So we ask you... Dr. Sloan,
could you comment?

Wait a minute.
She's not finished.

I'm not finished. I have
a prepared statement.

She has a prepared statement.

Uh, Doctor, what is the strike
effect on the hospital so far?

Uh, well, the doctors
and the interns, of course,

are trying their best to fill in
but we're very short-handed.

We have had to cancel
all of our surgeries.

So we ask you, Who
suffers? The patients.

Yeah, the patients.

W-What exactly is the
position of the hospital?

Uh, well,

on the one hand, the cold hard fact
is that this hospital is out of money.

But on the other hand...
Oh, well, if they're so broke

then why did they approve that
new parking structure right over there?

Oh, my dear.

And so, ladies and gentlemen,
as you have just seen,

this bitter labor dispute has now
escalated into physical violence.

Hi.

I... I can't talk
now. I'm working.

All right, uh... Show
me some corsages.

What, are you getting engaged?

Yeah, some day.

You shouldn't have come
back to the neighborhood, Jack.

You don't belong here anymore.

There's something
I gotta tell you.

Yeah, well, I... I
don't wanna hear...

I'm gonna tell you anyway.

Tommy Raffanti could
be in a lot of trouble.

Will you keep your voice
down? Then talk to me!

May I help you?

No, thank you, I'm just looking.

Is it okay if I take my
break now, Mr. Landers?

Go ahead.

Okay, so what's
this about Tommy?

What about Tommy?

He's up to his neck
in crooked cops.

Look, Tommy doesn't discuss his
business with me and I don't ask.

Maybe it's time you did.

What do you care about what I
think about Tommy or anything else?

Last time I saw you, it was, uh,

"So long, Josie. I'm
going to med school."

Hey, it doesn't mean I
stopped caring about you.

S-Sure.

You never even called me.

I'm sorry, I should have.

Not a phone call, not a
birthday card, nothing.

I waited a year for you, Jack.

A whole year.

And then what, you started
seeing Tommy Raffanti, right?

Let me tell you
something, Josie.

What this guy's involved in
could put an innocent man in jail.

He's no good.

Yeah? Well, he's good to
me and that's all I care about.

I don't believe that. No?

All right, look,
forget about this. I...

Josie, look, I need
you to help me, all right?

I need you to call me
if you hear anything

about a cop named
Schroeder who got killed.

Okay?

Don't come around again, Jack.

Not gonna hit me
with that, are you?

You're not making this easy.

You know, if you'd given
me just one more minute,

I would have said
something like,

"On the other hand,
the nurses are right."

I know, that's why I'm here.

You've forgiven me?

You forgive me first.

Delores, all is forgiven.

This thing's all crooked. You
never were any good with bandages.

You're right about that.

Hey, why don't you stay for
dinner. Steve and Jack are here.

Thanks, gotta go.
There's a rally tonight.

And people afraid of losing
their jobs need a lot of support.

See you.

You take care of yourself.

You, too.

Thanks for the cake.

Mmm.

I tell him to be careful and
he almost gets himself killed.

You talking about me?

No, my father would never
put himself in that position.

So, what did you find out?

Well, from what I overheard
Michaels tell Raffanti,

these guys are planning
to move some goods.

What kind and
where? I have no idea.

All I know is they're gonna
do it in less than 24 hours.

That doesn't give us much time.

You mean, that doesn't
give me much time.

Now, wait a minute.

Look, I am through
sittin' around.

What the hell do we do now?

There's still a few guys I
can trust at the precinct.

I'll just call in a
couple of favors.

Like what?

Like what their work
schedule is tomorrow.

Right, their work schedule
becomes our work schedule.

Better follow them inside.

All right, where
are you gonna be?

Well, they'd spot me.
I'll back you up. Okay.

♪

Hey, you bring 'em?

Right here, just like you asked.

What's in the case?
Some heavy firepower.

I don't get it. Why
a bread truck?

Let's just hope we can find out.

Strike! Strike! Strike!

Strike! Strike! Strike!
Strike! Strike! Strike!

Did the police ever
locate that stolen truck?

No, they got it stashed
away some place.

I sure as hell wish I knew why
they would wanna steal a bread truck.

I can't figure out what
the other ones are doing.

You know, I'll bet you that
Schroeder somehow got wind of it,

and wanted to be cut in.

For which he was murdered.

Either that or one
of the detectives

decided this might be a convenient
time to settle an old score.

Of course, the question
remains, what are they up to?

And where does this, uh, Tommy
Raffanti... Where does he fit in?

That's a good question.

Where's Jack, by the way?

Hey!

I gotta talk to you.

Why did you have to come back?

My life was going just fine.

Listen to me.

Something big is
going down today

and I gotta know what it is.

How would I know? I told you.

Tommy keeps me
out of his business.

He can't keep you out of this!

This is too big,
and it's too dirty.

Listen, I don't wanna
see you get hurt, Josie.

Now, for your own good,
tell me what you know!

I... I'm not sure what Tommy's
doing. Damn it, come on!

I...

I heard him on the
phone talking to someone

about some money coming
in for Benedict from the coast.

Tommy said he could use it.

That's all I know.

Thank you.

Sorry.

For what?

The way things turned out.

I, uh...

I was, um...

I was crazy to leave you.

Yeah.

You were.

It's Tommy! Uh, fire escape.

Phone calls?

Hello to you, too.
You expecting a call?

Any minute.

Uh, do you have any
aspirin? My head's pounding.

Uh, yeah, yeah, I'll get it.

There's your call.

Hello.

Yeah, what's up?

Look, don't worry about it.

It's gonna happen
just like we planned.

The money's on its way.

When your end goes down,
all hell's gonna break loose

and I'll be holding
the ransom money.

Okay?

Yeah, right. 1:00.

Compadre, a word.

Oh, Norman, I
was gonna call you.

Listen, Delores tells me that
you wouldn't offer a compromise.

Not me, amigo, the board.

They told me that downsizing
is like death. It's final.

Their jobs no longer exist.

Well, then there's nothing
Delores and her nurses can do?

Except get me fired.

The nurses think I'm behind this
debacle. Every one of them hates me.

If it was up to me,
and... and believe me,

I would give them everything
they want. But it isn't.

Well, then you know
what I'd do, Norman?

I'd walk right out
there and tell 'em.

You would?

Oh, yes. I know these
nurses. They'll understand.

If they see that I'm sincere
maybe they'll stop yelling at me,

and shaking their fists,
and trampling on the lawn.

Give 'em a chance, Norman.

All right. All
right, I'll do it.

Thank you, Sloan.

Strike! Strike!

There he is! Get him!

Get him!

Any more good ideas?

Uh, talk faster and keep moving?

No, I guess not.

Dad.

Dad?

Oh, I'm sorry, Steve.
What did you say?

I checked with the duty
officer. All four are off duty.

Whatever they're doin',
it goes down today.

Guys, hold on to your shorts.

My source just called me.

She overheard Tommy Raffanti talking
with somebody about ransom money.

Whatever's happening is
going down today at 1:00.

That's it!

It's been right in front of
our faces the whole time.

It's got to be a kidnapping.

All right, but who would
they wanna kidnap?

Somebody close to Raffanti.

Somebody that's worth
a lot to the organization.

You think they're gonna
kidnap Gus Benedict?

It's gotta be.

Mr. Raffanti, how you doing?

Just fine, Mitch.
Good to see you.

Look, Mr. Benedict called. He's on
his way. How's this look to you, sir?

Perfect.

Thanks. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Benedict, good to see you.

Good to see you.
Let me show you.

Mr. Benedict, how are you?

I'm good.

Hey, Butch. Tommy.

You been waiting
long? No, I just got here.

All right, down! Everybody
down, on the floor, now!

Get 'em down!

Move and you're dead.

If I may suggest. Yeah.

Party's over, gentlemen.

Hey. Down, down, get down!

Well, you, you, come on!

Come on, come on. Come on.

All right, anybody
moves, Benedict's dead.

You'll be hearing from us.

The bakery says they
deliver here every day at 1:00.

Yeah, and Gus Benedict
eats here all the time.

Gentlemen, can I help you?

Where's Gus?

Couldn't make it.

Josie.

You shouldn't be here.

I had to see you again.

This is never gonna work.

I know.

Gus Benedict's been kidnapped.

Tommy has to deliver $3
million or else they'll kill him.

Don't worry.
Tommy's gonna do it.

Josie, you don't know.

You don't understand.
Tommy is in on it.

Oh, no, T-Tommy would never
do anything to hurt Gus Benedict.

Think about it.

Tommy knew about... about
the ransom money in advance.

He set the whole thing up.

You gotta get
away from this guy.

I can't.

You can.

Walk out of here with me now.

It's too late.

I'm pregnant.

I couldn't leave Tommy
now even if I wanted to.

I don't know what happened
to her, Mark. I really don't.

Well, whatever it was,
Jack, it wasn't your fault.

Sometimes life makes medicine
look like an exact science.

I don't know, maybe...

Maybe if I did things
differently, you know?

Oh, yeah, we're all geniuses
when it comes to hindsight.

You gotta give Vickers
and those guys credit.

Careful.

It's a perfect crime.

Kidnap a crime boss.

Nobody will report it, nobody will call
in the FBI. It's just "Pay up or else."

Oh, any news about
that bread truck?

Yeah, they picked it up across
town. There wasn't a clue on it.

I tried to locate our four
detectives, but get this.

All four are supposedly
off on a fishing trip up north.

This whole scheme
is so buttoned up

that no one on the street
even knows Benedict is missing.

Oh, I hate to say
this, gentlemen,

but looks like we got
a whole lot of nothing.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Who was it who said that a
kidnapping is a play in three acts?

The first act is the abduction.

Second act is the negotiation.

The third act, the exchange.

Now, if Raffanti is really
double-crossing Gus Benedict,

apparently he is,

then he has got to live out this
little charade right to the final curtain.

Do you think Captain Greenwood
would help you out if you spoke to him?

Depends on what
you have in mind.

If we can get Raffanti
just to make one slip,

we'll know who killed Schroeder.

Yeah.

Yeah, I know where that is.

♪

Unbelievable. I'm
supposed to be off fishing

and that SOB
Greenwood still pages me.

Yo. Friend's here.

Mr. Benedict, you
should be happy to know

that you're worth so much
money to your friends.

Got all of it?

Better believe it. $3 million.

Fresh from the coast.

Anybody follow you?

If they did, they saw me drop off
the suitcases just like we planned.

And all they got for the
trouble was a lot of newspaper.

Everyone was so freaked out
they didn't suspect anything.

Check this out, boys, huh? Huh?

Not bad for a few day's work.

It's nice.

What about Benedict?

What about Benedict?

I held up on my
end of the bargain.

Unfortunately,

the kidnappers, they double-crossed
us, they... they took the money.

But they killed poor old Gus.

That wasn't part of the plan.

Plans change.

He's yours.

It's okay, Gus.

It's me, Tommy.

I came to get you.

I paid them the ransom

with the money you had
flown in from the coast.

Everything's gonna be all right.

I know you've been
through a lot, Gus.

But

it will all be over just
in a few moments.

Very important to me, too, Gus.

Drop it!

Now!

Freeze!

You know the
program, don't move!

Let's go.

You set me up with that
phone call didn't you, boy scout?

When you called
in, we traced the call

to a phone booth
down the street.

Then we just staked it out

and waited for
Raffanti to show up.

Hold on.

Dad?

Mr. Raffanti, I think we
have something of yours.

Where did you find that?

In Schroeder's apartment

where you lost it in the
struggle when you murdered him.

You can't prove that.

Well, we'll see about that, son.

He's right, you
know. He is right.

Oh, your blood pressure's
just a little elevated.

Other than that, you're
no worse for the wear.

I'd like to take
care of Raffanti.

Right now!

Oh, Gus,

without him, we won't
know who framed Steve.

This better be good, Sloan.

Oh, excuse me,
y-you're with a patient.

Which is why I called you.

Norman Briggs, I'd like for
you to meet Mr. Anonymous.

This hospital's
collapsing all around me

and you're making
practical jokes?

I never make jokes.

This is the same Mr. Anonymous

who donated the
hematology lab last year.

It's my pleasure. How
can I help you, sir?

He already has.

He saved my life two years
ago on the operating table

and today, when he did it again.

Dr. Sloan is our best

and our brightest.
We're all very proud.

There is no finer doctor. Whenever
I have a problem, I turn to Mark...

Thank you, thank you, Norman.

In gratitude, I'm making a
donation to your hospital.

My hospital thanks you.

Well, are we talking
a new wing, boys?

No, Norman, we're
talking personnel.

The money goes
to rehire the nurses.

What?

All of them, now!

This is blackmail, isn't it?

He's smarter than he looks.

$3 million, Norman.

Take it or leave it.

The board would be
very, very impressed.

Nurses will like you.

Nobody likes me.
Nobody thinks I'm smart.

And everybody's gonna
wonder how I pulled this off.

It'll be our little secret.

Blessed are those who giveth

and blessed are
those who taketh.

Don't tell me your problems!

Yeah, I'm out on bail, but I
need the money right now.

I've gotta get out of town
before Benedict finds me.

You better come
through for me, man,

or I'll tell 'em who pulled
the trigger on Schroeder.

That's more like it.

You bring the money to the parking
garage at 54th and Grand in two hours.

I'll meet you on
the fourth floor.

Yeah.

What's going on, Tommy?
What kind of trouble are you in?

I'll be back.

Don't lie to me anymore, Tommy!

Everything will be fine, Josie.

I gotta go.

Tommy? Talk to me.

Don't go!

Vickers.

Did you bring the money?

Sure.

Come on.

What are you doing?

I'm sorry about this, Tommy,

but I can't trust
anyone anymore.

I see you're carrying here.

You got a bug?

I swear I'm not wired.

I just want the money.

I need a head start
against Benedict.

Where are you gonna run to?

What do you care?

Hey, if you were smart
you wouldn't stick around

with a kidnapping charge
on your head, either.

Not to mention what we did

to that Detective
Powell friend of yours.

As long as you keep
your mouth shut,

nobody's gonna connect
either of us to Schroeder.

Tommy didn't have to say
a word, Detective Vickers.

I knew my son was innocent

but thanks for
telling me who did it.

How'd you find us here?

Oh, I've been keeping
track of Tommy.

Ah, you should have left
well enough alone, Doctor.

Hey, Tommy. No!

Tommy, now, wait
a minute, Tommy!

Are you nuts?

Come on, it was like
Schroeder, he knew too much.

Schroeder was different story.
I wasted him to settle a score.

Cutting him out of the
action was an excuse.

Want your money?
Here, have a good life.

Freeze, Vickers!

- Hold it right there.
- Get your hands up!

Freeze.

There's no way
out, Vickers. Give up!

Are you nuts?

Come on, it's like
Schroeder, he knew too much.

Schroeder was different story.

I wasted him to settle a score.

Cutting him out of the
action was an excuse.

It's over, Vickers.

Want your money?
Here, have a good life.

Freeze, Vickers!

I thought you might
try to frisk Tommy.

But I figured you'd never
bother to check on a dead man.

Tommy was the bait.

We set you up and
Tommy shot me with blanks.

And, of course, this
was recording all the time.

It's my distinct pleasure
to place you under arrest

for the murder of
Lloyd Schroeder.

He deserved what he got.

I'm not sorry now
and I never will be.

Well, never is a very
long time, Detective.

Of course, you and your partners

will have a chance to
find out how long, in prison.

Hello.

Hi.

I, uh, talked to Gus Benedict.

He doesn't blame you.

That's good.

I always liked Gus Benedict.

I hear they're putting
Tommy in protective custody.

Yeah, yeah. He's, uh...
He's gonna testify at the trial,

and in return for his testimony,

they're gonna put him in the
witness protection program.

You gonna go with him?

I have to go.

I didn't get a
chance to thank you.

Come on. Forget about
that, man, no problem.

Sorry about the girl.

Yeah, me, too.

I'll catch you later, all right?

Delores, light of my life!

You have no idea how
glad I am to see you!

Don't give me any
of that sweet talk.

What did you do to my desk?
You ought to be ashamed.

Come here.

Now things are back to normal.

Well, I may be back, but things
around you will never be normal.

Mark, could I please
see you for a moment?

Oh, sure, Norman.

I... I just wanted to say

that I thought we worked very
well together on this strike business.

I'm happy to hear
you say that, Norman.

And it just so happens that
my contract with the hospital

is coming up for renewal,

and I think that you'll
be an excellent choice

to represent me.

Norman, I'd be happy to do it.

Of course, you're gonna
have to explain to me

exactly what it is
you do around here.

It's a joke, Norman.