Diagnosis Murder (1993–2001): Season 6, Episode 13 - Voices Carry - full transcript
A retiring detective Harry Trumble (Jack Klugman) continues to pursue a murderer known as "The Clown Killer", and will lie, cheat and kill to do it.
George...!
Come here.
What?
Look.
Whoa.
You wouldn't believe
the stuff people throw away.
Pianos, anchors, uh, grenades.
Yeah. Sometimes relatives.
Sometimes in pieces.
You get used to it, you know?
I don't.
Found her credit cards
and I.D.
Her name is Sally Jenkins.
She's got an
S.A.G. card.
I guess she was an actress.
Yeah? Well, she's doing
a great job of playing dead.
I can see this isn't
going to be my day.
Better than hers.
♪ When I grow up
♪ I'll chase away each frown
♪ I hope you see me
I've been looking
all over for you.
It's been a long time
since I entertained the kids.
Mm-hmm. Well, I suppose
it's just a coincidence
that you happen
to pick 15 minutes
before Harry Trumble's
retirement party to do it.
Is that today?
Look, Dad, if you don't
want to go, just say so.
Why wouldn't I want to go?
You didn't catch
the Clown Killer.
Oh, that was a long time ago.
It's been years since that
task force was disbanded.
It doesn't mean it hasn't
been eating away at you both.
I kind of put it behind me.
Maybe you have,
but we both know Harry hasn't.
Is that why you've
been avoiding the party?
You know, I was...
I was the last person to leave
that task force eight years ago,
and we haven't spoken since.
Kind of an
awkward time
to start again.
Or the best.
Harry could use
his friends right now.
He hasn't got many left.
Yeah, let's go.
All right, holster your guns.
We've got the man of the hour.
Here's to Harry Trumble.
Even a bullet in the throat
couldn't keep him from achieving
what most detectives dream of.
He managed to milk
one case for 15 years.
And keep himself
off the streets.
Harry Trumble.
Hear, hear.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Harry.
40 years on the job...
That's, uh...
quite an achievement.
Not exactly what I'd
hoped to be remembered for.
You taught a lot of homicide
detectives how to do their job.
And that's a legacy
that will last a long time.
You of all people should know
exactly what I'm talking about.
But then again, you've solved
a lot of murders since then
while I've been
locked away in
my little room.
Harry, you locked yourself away
in that room.
It's because the Clown Killer's
still out there.
Only now
no one will be looking for him.
Harry, you did the best job
you could do.
It's time to put that
behind you now.
Enjoy your life a little bit.
You always talked about going
deep-sea fishing in Cabo.
Do it.
Oh, I talked
about a lot of things.
Talked about a wife,
kids, grandchildren.
You know what happened to that.
Well, I'm sure glad you
invited me to come down here.
No surprises in the autopsy.
Sally Jenkins was
definitely strangled.
Probably from behind
with bare hands.
You can tell
by the bruises
around her neck.
Too bad we can't get
fingerprints off flesh.
That day will come,
but until then we have DNA.
She definitely fought.
I found skin
under her fingernails.
You find the killer,
and I'll nail him
with chromosomes.
Give me a couple of days.
That's pretty optimistic.
She had a boyfriend
that didn't want to let go.
She called the cops
on him twice.
Last time, he broke down
her door with a sledgehammer.
He, uh, didn't show up
for work today.
That's pretty promising.
Any idea why the white makeup?
Because the Clown Killer
didn't finish his work.
Why wasn't I notified
about this immediately?
Because you're retired.
The 24 hours that passed
since I handed in my badge
hasn't dulled my memory
that much.
I'm still the expert
on the Clown Killer.
This isn't a clown killing.
Well, you just let me
be the judge of that, okay?
It's a good thing I still have
a few friends on the force
who let me in on this
before the trail got cold.
This is our best lead.
Harry, the Clown Killer
stabbed his victims
and painted
a clown face on them.
Sally Jenkins was strangled,
and she's not wearing
a clown face.
That's because
something or someone
interrupted him
before he finished.
That's why this is the most
significant break we ever had.
There could be
a witness out there.
The Clown Killer also made
an incision in his
victims' tongues.
She doesn't have one.
He didn't get to finish...
Are you listening to me?
Look, I've heard enough.
Sally Jenkins was an actress.
Between gigs
she worked
birthday parties
as storybook characters.
When we checked her apartment,
we found an open jar
of white face paint
on her makeup table.
She was probably
at the makeup table
when she was strangled.
The Clown Killer picked up
his victims on the street.
He never entered anyone's home.
I'm telling you, it's him.
And he just happens to
strike on the same day
that you retire
and the task force
is officially shut down.
That's exactly why he did it.
To laugh at me...
To laugh at all of us.
Harry, we all know how you feel.
You've been forced
to leave your job
before your work is done.
You have to let go.
Oh, I will.
The day I catch him.
He was a very good cop once.
Yes, he was.
You two were good friends?
I'm sure he could
use one right now.
Not me, I'm afraid.
Oh, God.
I promise you...
I'll get him.
That's our world famous
corned beef salad.
See? And the next one
is a smoked tongue Cobb.
And the one after that
is our famous Santa Fe
pastrami Caesar.
Definitely original.
Oh, yeah.
I like to think of them
as salads a man
would not be ashamed to eat.
Hmm...
don't you think
they're a little hearty?
Well, hearty, yes, but it's
the only way I can get Steve
to put a little roughage
on the menu.
Hey.
Give me some
bacon and eggs,
will you, Jess?
You can get them yourself.
I can gouge your
eyes out with
my spoon, too.
Hey, well, a bright good morning
to you, too.
Boy, this surly-
in-the-morning
routine works great.
You can't believe what I can
get people to do for me.
You're saying you're
actually in a good mood.
Great. I got a line
on Sally Jenkins'
ex-boyfriend, Ed Pender.
His brother Erno
runs a wrecking
yard in Venice.
I checked him out.
He likes to break down doors
with sledgehammers,
trucks, benches...
Maybe he's going to his brother
for understanding and support.
That's exactly
what I was thinking.
Hey, the TV was on in back.
I thought you might
want to see this.
The Clown Killer terrorized
this city a decade ago
in a string of killings
that left six women dead
and police baffled.
And now comes the terrifying
news that he's back.
The Clown Killer took
responsibility
for the slaying
in a note delivered to this
station late last night.
Its authenticity was confirmed
by Lieutenant Harry Trumble,
the head of
the Clown Killer task force.
Yes, there has been
another killing.
Unfortunately, it's consistent
with his past murders,
and so is the note,
which contains information
that only the clown could know.
I knew that Harry
was obsessed with that clown.
I never thought
he'd go this far.
He's going to have this
whole city in a panic.
Well, that's the station.
I got to go.
I want to tag along with you.
All right, listen up.
The chief has reactivated
the Clown Killer task force,
and Harry Trumble
has been reinstated.
You're all assigned to this.
Other case work
is temporarily
suspended.
How do we know it was the clown
and not some... crank?
All of the clown's letters
include the victim's
time of death.
Now, that's something
only the killer and we knew.
He put it in military time
at the end of his message,
and that's one tidbit
we never released to the media.
You report to Harry.
He's going to coordinate
the investigation.
That's all.
All right, here are your
duty assignments.
Now, it's scut work... but that's
how we're going to nail him.
I want daily reports
on my desk, 9:00.
Yes, sir.
Mark?
I'd like you back on the team.
I won't help you
perpetuate this fraud, Harry.
The clown didn't write
that letter. You did.
Oh, get your priorities
straight, will you?
The Clown Killer's
still out there.
I want to stop him.
While you're monopolizing
the resources
of the police department
to evade retirement,
how many killers
are walking free out there?
Here's your assignment,
Detective.
How nice of the clown
to say "hello."
Timely, too.
You got a job to do.
Why don't you go
out there and do it?
You don't really believe
the clown is back, do you?
What I do believe is that every
television and newspaper
reporter in this city
is camped outside
the chief's office.
He's expecting results.
We have got to give it to him.
The clown didn't kill
Sally Jenkins.
Give me one day,
and I can prove it.
One day.
And your clock is ticking.
Trumble.
As the husband is, the wife is.
Thou art mated with a clown.
1100 hours.
What do you want?
It's been a long time, Harry.
Thanks for inviting me
to clown around again.
Something wrong?
Oh, no.
Just... just a crank call.
It's so nice to be back.
Is this another clown killing?
Can you tell us
why he's come back?
No comment till I take a look.
Guess I should
congratulate you, Harry.
You were right after all.
What do we have here?
Young female, 22.
The name on the
driver's license
is Trudy Shedlow.
It's there.
When I got the page,
I could hardly bring myself
to come down here.
Even in the car, I kept hoping.
We all did.
Well, the only thing
that matters
is to see this
never happens again.
I'm going to need
your help, Steve.
Can I count on it?
Yeah, Harry.
I want to know everything
you've seen since you got here.
I'm glad you're back
on the team, Mark.
I'm just here to finish a job
I started ten years ago,
Harry, that's all,
and I still believe
that that letter was a fake,
and when this thing's over,
I'm going to find out the truth.
Fair enough.
So, where's the clown
been hiding all these years?
He hasn't been.
Remember his
last killing? '89.
We all wondered why he vanished.
I remember hearing
a lot of theories.
Yeah, we thought he was
bored with killing
or he finished a pattern
that we didn't understand.
Yeah, pretty useless.
Yeah, because it was based
on wishful thinking.
Truth is the clown
never stopped killing.
I don't remember hearing
about any murders
that even sounded
like the clown's.
That's because
you were looking
in the wrong places...
Just like I've been
doing for so long.
There.
Siberia?
Oh, it's pretty rugged
country up there.
Only thaws out a couple
of months in the summer.
July 1990, when the snow melted,
it uncovered six dead women.
Stabbed?
Well, Siberian record-keeping
isn't up to our standard,
but at least one woman had
an incision on her tongue,
and enough of their faces
survived the winter
to show traces of greasepaint.
Clown faces?
Well, not exactly clown.
I reconstructed these
from bits and pieces
of the victims' photos.
Skomorokhi...
In Russian mythology,
he's the trickster, joker.
You reconstructed this,
so you don't know
that this is actually what
was painted on the victims.
Wait, I got more.
Eshu...
In most African cultures,
this is the fool.
Now, we found indications of him
on four murdered women
in Nigeria in 1993.
This is Nasr-ed-din,
Saudi Arabia.
Do I have to explain what he is?
So, the clown has been
traveling around the world
adapting his killings to
the local cultures here.
And you've managed
to figure this out?
Oh, I was sure he wasn't
going to stop killing.
Siberia, Saudi Arabia
and Nigeria.
They're all
oil-producing countries.
Add Mexico and Venezuela,
you've traced his path
for the last ten years.
So he works for an oil company,
and the reason he
stopped killing here
is because he was transferred.
And then he was
transferred back.
So, we have to figure out
what oil companies
have operations in
these countries.
Then we've got
to make a list of
all the employees
whose movements parallel
these killings.
That's why they gave me
a dozen offices.
Now it's a matter of time
before you watch me
bring him down.
Harry,
Dad, I'd like you
to meet Jed Pender.
He just, uh, admitted murdering
his girlfriend Sally Jenkins.
He couldn't have.
Seems Jed wanted Sally
to stay home and watch videos.
She wanted to go to work
playing Raggedy Ann
at a kid's birthday party.
He settled the argument
by throttling her to death.
I think the DNA tests
on the skin
found under her fingernails
will prove it.
Why would the clown confess
to somebody else's murder?
Go on, Harry.
Explain that to us.
The only reason I can think of
is he's toying with us.
Well, somebody is.
So you think Harry
faked that letter
so we wouldn't
take away his task force?
Of course he did.
And then what happened?
He didn't think we were
enthusiastic enough
so he, uh, he killed
the second girl himself?
No, we don't believe
Harry's responsible
for something like that.
But if he forged that letter,
he's responsible
for the second murder.
You had some problems
with Harry a few years ago.
Is that right?
That has nothing
to do with this.
Of course not.
But unlike Harry, you don't have
any personal agenda at all.
Look, if the clown was
living in L.A., sir,
and he saw those fake letters,
it might have inspired him
to start the killing again.
That's a very interesting
theory, Sloan.
What is your point?
You've got to take Trumble
off the task force.
No.
What, are you going
to reward him
for what he did?
Sloan, have you seen
the news lately?
People are afraid.
Harry Trumble makes
them feel safe.
Harry's the reason
they're scared.
They don't know that.
All they know is that
this force has an expert
on the Clown Killer
and he's going to use
all of his expertise
to stop this maniac from
killing innocent women.
His investigation is
hopelessly compromised, sir.
If he forged that letter...
Look, that accusation
is without any evidence so far
unless you are holding
something back on me.
You want Harry Trumble punished
for what he did.
If he forged that letter,
I think he should be held
accountable, yes.
I assume you share
your father's sentiments?
Yes, sir.
All right, I'll authorize you
to investigate Harry Trumble's
role in this killing.
Thank you, sir.
Said investigation
begins one hour after
the arrest of the Clown Killer.
You want Trumble...
help him get me the clown,
and he's yours.
Now, not only the oil companies,
but the businesses
that service them,
build their equipment.
We need personnel records,
travel documents,
anything we can get.
We have to talk
about that first letter.
In a couple of hours.
Look, I'm kind of busy here.
I'm in the mood to talk now...
To you or the press,
your choice.
You've all got your assignments.
We need answers
before the end
of business tomorrow.
Let's find someplace private.
I assume we're meeting here
instead of Newman's office
because you couldn't get me
thrown off my own task force.
Who sent that letter, Harry?
Until we get evidence
to the contrary,
it's credited to the clown.
He didn't kill Sally Jenkins.
Then let's add fibbing
to his list of crimes.
Are we done here?
That other girl, Trudy Shedlow...
Her death's on your conscience.
I'm going back to work.
You woke him up, Harry.
You demanded he
start killing again
all so you could have
the glory of catching him.
He killed dozens of women,
and you're willing to let
him retire in peace?
You're willing to let him
out there free, laughing at us?
If the alternative
is more deaths, yes.
And what about
a little thing
called justice?
What about that?
This hasn't got anything
to do with justice.
You're an old man, Harry.
You wasted your life
on this case,
and now you're
desperately trying
to squeeze some
meaning out of it.
It's pathetic.
I wasted my life?
You mean, I never got married.
I never raised a son
to take my place when I retired?
I didn't mean that,
Harry. I'm sorry.
Oh. Why is that, you think?
Why didn't I ever get married?
I remember I was in love once.
I was even engaged.
It was 40 years ago, Harry.
Let it alone.
It's coming back to me.
I remember her name
was Katherine
and she was so beautiful,
and she loved me, Mark.
She said she loved me.
Till she met a young doctor.
Then she didn't love me anymore.
You know we didn't mean
for that to happen.
You stole my life.
Don't you dare lecture me
about my conscience
until you're ready
to talk about your own.
"As the husband is, the wife is.
"Thou art mated with a clown.
1100 hours."
What do you want?
Same as you...
To catch the Clown Killer.
And bring meaning to my
wasted, pathetic life?
I can't help you there, Harry.
That's something you'll
have to do yourself.
I want to see the clown
behind bars.
That's all the meaning
I've ever needed.
Listen, how we doing
with the oil companies?
Well, I'm, uh, expecting
the personnel files
first thing in the morning.
Then we put on our comfy shoes
and hit the street.
I've got a pair
that need breaking in.
Can I tag along?
Well, if you want to help,
I'm certainly not going
to throw you out.
But if you're on the team,
you work for me.
No second guessing,
no questions.
I can do that.
However, you have to promise
to be absolutely honest with me.
Deal.
Mark...
Hmm?
The envelope.
Oh.
Don't tell me,
I was walking away
with crucial evidence
you have to study
in the morning.
No, nothing like that.
Junk mail, that's all.
I'm Howard Weber,
head of personnel.
How do you do?
I gathered
the files you requested.
Um, may I ask
what this is all about?
We're investigating a homicide.
Well, that much I figured out
when you introduced yourself
on the phone.
Oh, you...
you're the guy I saw on TV
the other day, aren't you?
Oh. This is about
the Clown Killer.
Mmm.
Oh, boy, those killings
were years ago.
Why would he come back now?
We don't think he ever stopped.
Just moved on.
Oh, you don't think that...
I mean, y-y-you don't think
that he's one of our employees?
I mean, you think that we have
a homicidal maniac working here?
No, we're checking about
a dozen oil companies
who operate in
Southern California.
He could work at one
of them, or none.
Since the killing stopped here
in L.A. about ten years ago,
similar murders
have been occurring
in oil-producing countries.
We thought there might
be a connection.
We...
we had our company picnic
about a week ago, and...
my wife and kids were there.
He was there.
I even let him
pick up my daughter.
You know who it was?
We have a lot
of employees who have worked
in the places you listed,
but there's only one
whose travel schedule
matches the dates you gave me.
Randy Horsting?
Mm-hmm.
A platform driller.
Just returned
from Saudi Arabia six weeks ago.
He doesn't get along well
with female coworkers,
so we try to work around that.
What's his problem with women?
Let's just say
that after a couple of months
on an oil platform
on the North Sea
that the first woman you meet
is going to get
a lot more attention
than she wants.
Now, most of our female
employees understand that.
Not every woman
is an understanding employee.
Mm-hmm. Something like that.
Do you mind if we take
these files with us?
Kind of sort through
them ourselves?
No, no, no,
of course, of course.
Oh, but just do me one favor.
When you catch this guy,
whoever it is,
do you have to mention
where he worked?
It has to come out.
Then if you'll excuse me,
I have to call my stockbroker.
Most of my 401
is in Triax Petroleum stocks.
Here you go.
It's been two hours.
What are the chances
Horsting slipped out the back?
Oh, no, no, trust me.
He's picking his victim.
According to his records,
Horsting used to hit on
any attractive woman
he saw in a bar.
Or anyplace else,
for that matter.
Wonder when he got so choosy.
What?
Oh, no, nothing.
I was just thinking.
You're a good cop.
You know that, Steve?
Sorry we didn't get
to know each other better.
Well, we spent the night
together in a car.
I know what
your favorite
radio station is,
what you take in your coffee
and, uh, why you hated Titanic.
What else is there?
No, I meant before.
All those years
working in the same building.
We never really talked.
Well, it's a big department.
Oh, I see a lot
of your mother in you.
You knew her?
Are you kidding?
I introduced her to your father.
Really?
Sure.
Well, I guess
I should thank you.
You got a girlfriend?
Yeah, I'm, uh, seeing someone.
It's okay with her
that you spend all this time
away from her?
Well, she knows
it's just the job.
They always say that.
Then comes the day
when they don't mean it anymore.
You know, you never know
how much you hurt 'em
until after they leave you.
You know, for a guy
who never got married,
you know a lot.
I do, don't I?
You know, it's good being a cop,
but it's important
to have a life.
If I had a son,
I'd pray that he had both.
Horsting.
I finally got you.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
My back's a little sore
from sitting in the car.
Aw, this just
doesn't feel right.
It's him.
Just wait.
Hey!
Come on.
Seen enough?
Police!
Hold it!
Stay with the girl!
You all right?
Oh...
Harry, you okay?
Check him out.
Did I get him?
Yeah, you got him, Harry.
Well, you look like
you got bad news.
Nothing you don't already know.
You've got cancer.
Colon cancer?
That's where it started.
Through your entire body
now, Harry.
So, what have I got, a
couple of weeks, a month?
Didn't have to happen this way.
If you'd just come in...
Oh, cheer up, Mark.
Today's a good day.
Oh, you finished
your life's work...
Now you can die in peace?
Well, there are worse
things, aren't there?
I suppose.
Long as we got the right guy.
They are going to
make this case stick
against him, aren't they?
He's dead, Harry.
You shot him.
I got to know it's him.
Well, his house is full
of violent pornography.
His garage...
A big collection of knives.
Not enough.
Well...
Steve found the makeup
that the clown used
on his last victim
in the glove compartment
of Horsting's truck.
Now there's only one
thing I got to do.
No. Just as soon
as you're a little stronger.
No. It's been
waiting 15 years.
It's the file on the
first clown-killing case.
It's in my home.
I've been waiting a long
time to mark it "closed."
Look, I'm out of here
in a couple hours.
I'll be happy
to go get it for you
if you're a good patient.
Okay, I'll wait.
I'm good at that.
"How does it feel
to switch places, Harry?
"I picked Horsting.
"You killed him.
"What a team we make.
"All the world loves a clown.
0130 hours."
Ah, you're just
in time, Dr. Sloan.
Dinner's almost ready...
Fresh salmon, lightly seasoned,
and it's great for you.
You're the Clown Killer.
Of course I am.
You murdered
16 women.
Mmm... closer to 40,
but who's counting?
But I don't understand.
You-you have a family.
You must put some value
on human life.
Well, it wouldn't
be fun otherwise.
Those women you murdered,
they're no different
than your wife or your kids.
Oh, I would never do
to my wife or kids
what I do to those women.
Cheryl...
Cheryl,
stop pulling Jimmy's hair.
Now, how would you like it
if he did that to you?
Geez...
complicated guy, aren't I?
Howard?
How long until dinner, honey?
Another five minutes.
It's not like I wouldn't
like to do it to my wife.
I mean, I would
if it was something
she could survive,
but, as we both
know... it's not.
Are you aware
of how sick you are?
You can't go on
with the killing.
We'll stop you.
Well, from what I
read in the papers,
you already have.
The Clown Killer is
dead... case closed.
Boy, everybody must
be so relieved.
I mean, I know that I
feel so much safer now.
Will you be staying for dinner?
No, thank you,
Mrs. Weber.
I feel a little sick.
Oh, I'm sure it'll pass.
Oh, uh, Doctor...
you know,
all the stuff I just said...
I was just clowning around.
Howard Weber
is the clown.
I thought Randy Horsting
was the clown.
You remember Randy Horsting,
don't you, Lieutenant?
That's the fellow
your commanding officer
shot in the back last night.
Weber set Horsting up
to save himself.
Well, you can tell that
to Horsting's relatives
when they launch a $90 million
wrongful death suit
against the department.
We can actually say
that it wasn't our fault.
Horsting was a violent rapist
fleeing police pursuit.
At least that's
what looks good
on the report.
I tracked down three
of his previous victims.
They all confirmed
that he raped them
and threatened to kill them
if they press charges.
That's reassuring.
You know, maybe we
should put this
on top of the press release.
That way people won't
look at the small print
where it actually says,
"Oops, we still
haven't found the clown."
But we know who he is now.
Let's tear his house apart,
or better yet,
let me bring him in.
What am I going to base
the search warrant on?
His confession, for one thing.
Ah...
would that be the confession
that he gave you
while he was barbecuing
dinner for his kids?
Hmm?
The judge will love that.
So what's your
alternative, Captain?
To let him go on killing?
If Weber is the clown,
he's not going to kill now,
especially since
we closed the case
and there is the possibility
that we may be watching him.
Unless that just
makes it better.
All right. All right.
I will authorize a 24-hour watch
on Weber for two weeks...
but if one word leaks out
that we are not sure
that Horsting was the clown,
I will pull the surveillance.
Is that understood?
Yes, sir.
Weber is smart.
He'll just wait till
he's out of the country
to keep on killing.
Well...
then it won't be our problem,
will it?
Come to finish me off, Mark?
What do you mean?
You got the murder
weapon in your hand.
That's the file on the first
Clown Killer case...
The Kit Camry file.
I've only been hanging around
so I can mark
it "closed."
I'm afraid it's not
going to be that easy.
Oh... that's one
thing I learned
after 40 years in homicide.
Dying is always easy;
it's life that's hard.
I went to the house
to get the file...
Then you know what
I'm talking about.
I buried myself for 15 years
hunting for that killer
'cause I knew I was the only one
who could stop him.
In fact,
I stopped living my own life.
I know you forged that letter,
Harry.
I had to.
You brought him back.
I'm sorry about Trudy Shedlow.
I'm sorry about a lot of things.
You know,
I never really hated you
for stealing Katherine away.
Well, you had me fooled.
I pushed her away.
I told myself
that my job was more important
than any relationship.
The fact is, I was afraid
of committing myself
to another person.
You know,
I think she understood that.
Let me have that file.
What's that?
Uh, prescription,
something to help you sleep.
Ah.
Pen?
Yes, sir.
Hello.
Oh, Dr. Sloan.
I'm afraid you
just missed Howard.
He's on his way to the refinery.
This time, I'm here
to see you and the kids.
I don't understand.
Didn't Howard tell you?
I'm heading up Triax Petroleum's
new family health care program.
My goal is to start
personalizing
the service a little.
Well, it's about time.
Now, this is the sample
from Trudy Shedlow.
Yes.
And you didn't find it
on Sally Jenkins.
Absolutely not.
I checked and I rechecked.
Then we know for certain
that Sally Jenkins
and Trudy Shedlow
were not murdered
by the same man.
Yes, but you knew that already.
But now I know a lot more.
I won't let you hassle my family
or violate our privacy.
Amanda, this is Howard Weber.
You don't know him,
but you're familiar
with his work.
He's responsible
for Trudy Shedlow.
You impersonated
a Triax physician
in order to extract
personal information
from my wife and children.
You know, I'm glad
you dropped by, Howard.
I've been looking
into your son's eye problem.
Expect to be contacted
by my lawyers.
They're filing a complaint
with the medical association
as we speak.
You know, he's been suffering
from a really nagging case
of desert lice.
It's a sub-species of something
they call pediculus palpebrarum.
It lives in the eyelids
and the eyes,
and it's unique to Saudi Arabia,
and it only takes
the slightest contact
to transfer it from one
human being to another.
The ointment is not working.
Steve Sloan,
please report to pathology.
Mm.
Your concern
for my children is touching,
but they're already being
cared for by a doctor who,
well, unlike you,
will still be practicing
medicine next week.
You know, we found
the same parasite
in Trudy Shedlow's eyelashes,
and she's never been
to Saudi Arabia.
But Randy Horsting has.
More proof that you have caught
and killed the right man.
How gratifying for you.
Just one problem:
Horsting isn't infected
with the parasite.
But your son,
on the other hand, is.
Now, unless he's the clown,
that leaves you.
Hmm. Well, and the thousands
of people who arrive
into the United States
from Saudi Arabia every day.
It is enough to arrest you
and obtain a
search warrant
for your house,
your car and your office.
It's such a waste of time.
Are you sure
you want to do that?
I will walk out of jail tomorrow
an innocent victim
of police incompetence.
Well, I'll be hounded
by the press, of course.
Oh, I'll probably have
to hire a publicist.
Maybe even an agent.
I'll take that chance.
And the public, of course,
will wonder
just who the police shot
and killed the other night
and why.
It may be years before
the police department regains
the public's trust
and respect... if ever.
The good news is
there could be
a book deal in this.
A few more deaths
would really jack up sales.
"Laugh, and the world
laughs with you.
Weep, and you weep alone."
Harry, you didn't
have to do that.
We would have stopped him.
No, Mark.
I had to be the one to stop him.
You know that.
Here's to Detective
Harry Trumble,
a relentless, dedicated cop
who wouldn't even let death
cheat him out
of getting his man.
Hear, hear.
Hear, hear.
To Harry.
I think the chief is going
to have a tough time
hanging on to his job.
In fact, so will I.
Well, we've proved
beyond a doubt
that Howard Weber
was the killer.
We even found his knife
and the makeup buried
in the backyard in a lockbox.
After he was murdered
by a cop who faked letters
from the killer to the media
and after the city paid
$15 million
to Horsting's family
to preempt
a wrongful death suit.
Well, Captain, we stopped him.
You know, in the end,
that's the only thing
that's important.
Well, you tell that
to the special investigator
when the hearings begin
in six weeks.
How you doing?
Fine.
You know, it's funny.
Harry and I were in
the same precinct
most of my career, but...
we only really talked once.
The night Horsting was killed?
Yeah. I get the strange
feeling he was trying
to reach out to me somehow.
I don't know why.
What'd you talk about?
Oh, not much.
Just life, you know?
Yeah. I think so.
Come here.
What?
Look.
Whoa.
You wouldn't believe
the stuff people throw away.
Pianos, anchors, uh, grenades.
Yeah. Sometimes relatives.
Sometimes in pieces.
You get used to it, you know?
I don't.
Found her credit cards
and I.D.
Her name is Sally Jenkins.
She's got an
S.A.G. card.
I guess she was an actress.
Yeah? Well, she's doing
a great job of playing dead.
I can see this isn't
going to be my day.
Better than hers.
♪ When I grow up
♪ I'll chase away each frown
♪ I hope you see me
I've been looking
all over for you.
It's been a long time
since I entertained the kids.
Mm-hmm. Well, I suppose
it's just a coincidence
that you happen
to pick 15 minutes
before Harry Trumble's
retirement party to do it.
Is that today?
Look, Dad, if you don't
want to go, just say so.
Why wouldn't I want to go?
You didn't catch
the Clown Killer.
Oh, that was a long time ago.
It's been years since that
task force was disbanded.
It doesn't mean it hasn't
been eating away at you both.
I kind of put it behind me.
Maybe you have,
but we both know Harry hasn't.
Is that why you've
been avoiding the party?
You know, I was...
I was the last person to leave
that task force eight years ago,
and we haven't spoken since.
Kind of an
awkward time
to start again.
Or the best.
Harry could use
his friends right now.
He hasn't got many left.
Yeah, let's go.
All right, holster your guns.
We've got the man of the hour.
Here's to Harry Trumble.
Even a bullet in the throat
couldn't keep him from achieving
what most detectives dream of.
He managed to milk
one case for 15 years.
And keep himself
off the streets.
Harry Trumble.
Hear, hear.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Harry.
40 years on the job...
That's, uh...
quite an achievement.
Not exactly what I'd
hoped to be remembered for.
You taught a lot of homicide
detectives how to do their job.
And that's a legacy
that will last a long time.
You of all people should know
exactly what I'm talking about.
But then again, you've solved
a lot of murders since then
while I've been
locked away in
my little room.
Harry, you locked yourself away
in that room.
It's because the Clown Killer's
still out there.
Only now
no one will be looking for him.
Harry, you did the best job
you could do.
It's time to put that
behind you now.
Enjoy your life a little bit.
You always talked about going
deep-sea fishing in Cabo.
Do it.
Oh, I talked
about a lot of things.
Talked about a wife,
kids, grandchildren.
You know what happened to that.
Well, I'm sure glad you
invited me to come down here.
No surprises in the autopsy.
Sally Jenkins was
definitely strangled.
Probably from behind
with bare hands.
You can tell
by the bruises
around her neck.
Too bad we can't get
fingerprints off flesh.
That day will come,
but until then we have DNA.
She definitely fought.
I found skin
under her fingernails.
You find the killer,
and I'll nail him
with chromosomes.
Give me a couple of days.
That's pretty optimistic.
She had a boyfriend
that didn't want to let go.
She called the cops
on him twice.
Last time, he broke down
her door with a sledgehammer.
He, uh, didn't show up
for work today.
That's pretty promising.
Any idea why the white makeup?
Because the Clown Killer
didn't finish his work.
Why wasn't I notified
about this immediately?
Because you're retired.
The 24 hours that passed
since I handed in my badge
hasn't dulled my memory
that much.
I'm still the expert
on the Clown Killer.
This isn't a clown killing.
Well, you just let me
be the judge of that, okay?
It's a good thing I still have
a few friends on the force
who let me in on this
before the trail got cold.
This is our best lead.
Harry, the Clown Killer
stabbed his victims
and painted
a clown face on them.
Sally Jenkins was strangled,
and she's not wearing
a clown face.
That's because
something or someone
interrupted him
before he finished.
That's why this is the most
significant break we ever had.
There could be
a witness out there.
The Clown Killer also made
an incision in his
victims' tongues.
She doesn't have one.
He didn't get to finish...
Are you listening to me?
Look, I've heard enough.
Sally Jenkins was an actress.
Between gigs
she worked
birthday parties
as storybook characters.
When we checked her apartment,
we found an open jar
of white face paint
on her makeup table.
She was probably
at the makeup table
when she was strangled.
The Clown Killer picked up
his victims on the street.
He never entered anyone's home.
I'm telling you, it's him.
And he just happens to
strike on the same day
that you retire
and the task force
is officially shut down.
That's exactly why he did it.
To laugh at me...
To laugh at all of us.
Harry, we all know how you feel.
You've been forced
to leave your job
before your work is done.
You have to let go.
Oh, I will.
The day I catch him.
He was a very good cop once.
Yes, he was.
You two were good friends?
I'm sure he could
use one right now.
Not me, I'm afraid.
Oh, God.
I promise you...
I'll get him.
That's our world famous
corned beef salad.
See? And the next one
is a smoked tongue Cobb.
And the one after that
is our famous Santa Fe
pastrami Caesar.
Definitely original.
Oh, yeah.
I like to think of them
as salads a man
would not be ashamed to eat.
Hmm...
don't you think
they're a little hearty?
Well, hearty, yes, but it's
the only way I can get Steve
to put a little roughage
on the menu.
Hey.
Give me some
bacon and eggs,
will you, Jess?
You can get them yourself.
I can gouge your
eyes out with
my spoon, too.
Hey, well, a bright good morning
to you, too.
Boy, this surly-
in-the-morning
routine works great.
You can't believe what I can
get people to do for me.
You're saying you're
actually in a good mood.
Great. I got a line
on Sally Jenkins'
ex-boyfriend, Ed Pender.
His brother Erno
runs a wrecking
yard in Venice.
I checked him out.
He likes to break down doors
with sledgehammers,
trucks, benches...
Maybe he's going to his brother
for understanding and support.
That's exactly
what I was thinking.
Hey, the TV was on in back.
I thought you might
want to see this.
The Clown Killer terrorized
this city a decade ago
in a string of killings
that left six women dead
and police baffled.
And now comes the terrifying
news that he's back.
The Clown Killer took
responsibility
for the slaying
in a note delivered to this
station late last night.
Its authenticity was confirmed
by Lieutenant Harry Trumble,
the head of
the Clown Killer task force.
Yes, there has been
another killing.
Unfortunately, it's consistent
with his past murders,
and so is the note,
which contains information
that only the clown could know.
I knew that Harry
was obsessed with that clown.
I never thought
he'd go this far.
He's going to have this
whole city in a panic.
Well, that's the station.
I got to go.
I want to tag along with you.
All right, listen up.
The chief has reactivated
the Clown Killer task force,
and Harry Trumble
has been reinstated.
You're all assigned to this.
Other case work
is temporarily
suspended.
How do we know it was the clown
and not some... crank?
All of the clown's letters
include the victim's
time of death.
Now, that's something
only the killer and we knew.
He put it in military time
at the end of his message,
and that's one tidbit
we never released to the media.
You report to Harry.
He's going to coordinate
the investigation.
That's all.
All right, here are your
duty assignments.
Now, it's scut work... but that's
how we're going to nail him.
I want daily reports
on my desk, 9:00.
Yes, sir.
Mark?
I'd like you back on the team.
I won't help you
perpetuate this fraud, Harry.
The clown didn't write
that letter. You did.
Oh, get your priorities
straight, will you?
The Clown Killer's
still out there.
I want to stop him.
While you're monopolizing
the resources
of the police department
to evade retirement,
how many killers
are walking free out there?
Here's your assignment,
Detective.
How nice of the clown
to say "hello."
Timely, too.
You got a job to do.
Why don't you go
out there and do it?
You don't really believe
the clown is back, do you?
What I do believe is that every
television and newspaper
reporter in this city
is camped outside
the chief's office.
He's expecting results.
We have got to give it to him.
The clown didn't kill
Sally Jenkins.
Give me one day,
and I can prove it.
One day.
And your clock is ticking.
Trumble.
As the husband is, the wife is.
Thou art mated with a clown.
1100 hours.
What do you want?
It's been a long time, Harry.
Thanks for inviting me
to clown around again.
Something wrong?
Oh, no.
Just... just a crank call.
It's so nice to be back.
Is this another clown killing?
Can you tell us
why he's come back?
No comment till I take a look.
Guess I should
congratulate you, Harry.
You were right after all.
What do we have here?
Young female, 22.
The name on the
driver's license
is Trudy Shedlow.
It's there.
When I got the page,
I could hardly bring myself
to come down here.
Even in the car, I kept hoping.
We all did.
Well, the only thing
that matters
is to see this
never happens again.
I'm going to need
your help, Steve.
Can I count on it?
Yeah, Harry.
I want to know everything
you've seen since you got here.
I'm glad you're back
on the team, Mark.
I'm just here to finish a job
I started ten years ago,
Harry, that's all,
and I still believe
that that letter was a fake,
and when this thing's over,
I'm going to find out the truth.
Fair enough.
So, where's the clown
been hiding all these years?
He hasn't been.
Remember his
last killing? '89.
We all wondered why he vanished.
I remember hearing
a lot of theories.
Yeah, we thought he was
bored with killing
or he finished a pattern
that we didn't understand.
Yeah, pretty useless.
Yeah, because it was based
on wishful thinking.
Truth is the clown
never stopped killing.
I don't remember hearing
about any murders
that even sounded
like the clown's.
That's because
you were looking
in the wrong places...
Just like I've been
doing for so long.
There.
Siberia?
Oh, it's pretty rugged
country up there.
Only thaws out a couple
of months in the summer.
July 1990, when the snow melted,
it uncovered six dead women.
Stabbed?
Well, Siberian record-keeping
isn't up to our standard,
but at least one woman had
an incision on her tongue,
and enough of their faces
survived the winter
to show traces of greasepaint.
Clown faces?
Well, not exactly clown.
I reconstructed these
from bits and pieces
of the victims' photos.
Skomorokhi...
In Russian mythology,
he's the trickster, joker.
You reconstructed this,
so you don't know
that this is actually what
was painted on the victims.
Wait, I got more.
Eshu...
In most African cultures,
this is the fool.
Now, we found indications of him
on four murdered women
in Nigeria in 1993.
This is Nasr-ed-din,
Saudi Arabia.
Do I have to explain what he is?
So, the clown has been
traveling around the world
adapting his killings to
the local cultures here.
And you've managed
to figure this out?
Oh, I was sure he wasn't
going to stop killing.
Siberia, Saudi Arabia
and Nigeria.
They're all
oil-producing countries.
Add Mexico and Venezuela,
you've traced his path
for the last ten years.
So he works for an oil company,
and the reason he
stopped killing here
is because he was transferred.
And then he was
transferred back.
So, we have to figure out
what oil companies
have operations in
these countries.
Then we've got
to make a list of
all the employees
whose movements parallel
these killings.
That's why they gave me
a dozen offices.
Now it's a matter of time
before you watch me
bring him down.
Harry,
Dad, I'd like you
to meet Jed Pender.
He just, uh, admitted murdering
his girlfriend Sally Jenkins.
He couldn't have.
Seems Jed wanted Sally
to stay home and watch videos.
She wanted to go to work
playing Raggedy Ann
at a kid's birthday party.
He settled the argument
by throttling her to death.
I think the DNA tests
on the skin
found under her fingernails
will prove it.
Why would the clown confess
to somebody else's murder?
Go on, Harry.
Explain that to us.
The only reason I can think of
is he's toying with us.
Well, somebody is.
So you think Harry
faked that letter
so we wouldn't
take away his task force?
Of course he did.
And then what happened?
He didn't think we were
enthusiastic enough
so he, uh, he killed
the second girl himself?
No, we don't believe
Harry's responsible
for something like that.
But if he forged that letter,
he's responsible
for the second murder.
You had some problems
with Harry a few years ago.
Is that right?
That has nothing
to do with this.
Of course not.
But unlike Harry, you don't have
any personal agenda at all.
Look, if the clown was
living in L.A., sir,
and he saw those fake letters,
it might have inspired him
to start the killing again.
That's a very interesting
theory, Sloan.
What is your point?
You've got to take Trumble
off the task force.
No.
What, are you going
to reward him
for what he did?
Sloan, have you seen
the news lately?
People are afraid.
Harry Trumble makes
them feel safe.
Harry's the reason
they're scared.
They don't know that.
All they know is that
this force has an expert
on the Clown Killer
and he's going to use
all of his expertise
to stop this maniac from
killing innocent women.
His investigation is
hopelessly compromised, sir.
If he forged that letter...
Look, that accusation
is without any evidence so far
unless you are holding
something back on me.
You want Harry Trumble punished
for what he did.
If he forged that letter,
I think he should be held
accountable, yes.
I assume you share
your father's sentiments?
Yes, sir.
All right, I'll authorize you
to investigate Harry Trumble's
role in this killing.
Thank you, sir.
Said investigation
begins one hour after
the arrest of the Clown Killer.
You want Trumble...
help him get me the clown,
and he's yours.
Now, not only the oil companies,
but the businesses
that service them,
build their equipment.
We need personnel records,
travel documents,
anything we can get.
We have to talk
about that first letter.
In a couple of hours.
Look, I'm kind of busy here.
I'm in the mood to talk now...
To you or the press,
your choice.
You've all got your assignments.
We need answers
before the end
of business tomorrow.
Let's find someplace private.
I assume we're meeting here
instead of Newman's office
because you couldn't get me
thrown off my own task force.
Who sent that letter, Harry?
Until we get evidence
to the contrary,
it's credited to the clown.
He didn't kill Sally Jenkins.
Then let's add fibbing
to his list of crimes.
Are we done here?
That other girl, Trudy Shedlow...
Her death's on your conscience.
I'm going back to work.
You woke him up, Harry.
You demanded he
start killing again
all so you could have
the glory of catching him.
He killed dozens of women,
and you're willing to let
him retire in peace?
You're willing to let him
out there free, laughing at us?
If the alternative
is more deaths, yes.
And what about
a little thing
called justice?
What about that?
This hasn't got anything
to do with justice.
You're an old man, Harry.
You wasted your life
on this case,
and now you're
desperately trying
to squeeze some
meaning out of it.
It's pathetic.
I wasted my life?
You mean, I never got married.
I never raised a son
to take my place when I retired?
I didn't mean that,
Harry. I'm sorry.
Oh. Why is that, you think?
Why didn't I ever get married?
I remember I was in love once.
I was even engaged.
It was 40 years ago, Harry.
Let it alone.
It's coming back to me.
I remember her name
was Katherine
and she was so beautiful,
and she loved me, Mark.
She said she loved me.
Till she met a young doctor.
Then she didn't love me anymore.
You know we didn't mean
for that to happen.
You stole my life.
Don't you dare lecture me
about my conscience
until you're ready
to talk about your own.
"As the husband is, the wife is.
"Thou art mated with a clown.
1100 hours."
What do you want?
Same as you...
To catch the Clown Killer.
And bring meaning to my
wasted, pathetic life?
I can't help you there, Harry.
That's something you'll
have to do yourself.
I want to see the clown
behind bars.
That's all the meaning
I've ever needed.
Listen, how we doing
with the oil companies?
Well, I'm, uh, expecting
the personnel files
first thing in the morning.
Then we put on our comfy shoes
and hit the street.
I've got a pair
that need breaking in.
Can I tag along?
Well, if you want to help,
I'm certainly not going
to throw you out.
But if you're on the team,
you work for me.
No second guessing,
no questions.
I can do that.
However, you have to promise
to be absolutely honest with me.
Deal.
Mark...
Hmm?
The envelope.
Oh.
Don't tell me,
I was walking away
with crucial evidence
you have to study
in the morning.
No, nothing like that.
Junk mail, that's all.
I'm Howard Weber,
head of personnel.
How do you do?
I gathered
the files you requested.
Um, may I ask
what this is all about?
We're investigating a homicide.
Well, that much I figured out
when you introduced yourself
on the phone.
Oh, you...
you're the guy I saw on TV
the other day, aren't you?
Oh. This is about
the Clown Killer.
Mmm.
Oh, boy, those killings
were years ago.
Why would he come back now?
We don't think he ever stopped.
Just moved on.
Oh, you don't think that...
I mean, y-y-you don't think
that he's one of our employees?
I mean, you think that we have
a homicidal maniac working here?
No, we're checking about
a dozen oil companies
who operate in
Southern California.
He could work at one
of them, or none.
Since the killing stopped here
in L.A. about ten years ago,
similar murders
have been occurring
in oil-producing countries.
We thought there might
be a connection.
We...
we had our company picnic
about a week ago, and...
my wife and kids were there.
He was there.
I even let him
pick up my daughter.
You know who it was?
We have a lot
of employees who have worked
in the places you listed,
but there's only one
whose travel schedule
matches the dates you gave me.
Randy Horsting?
Mm-hmm.
A platform driller.
Just returned
from Saudi Arabia six weeks ago.
He doesn't get along well
with female coworkers,
so we try to work around that.
What's his problem with women?
Let's just say
that after a couple of months
on an oil platform
on the North Sea
that the first woman you meet
is going to get
a lot more attention
than she wants.
Now, most of our female
employees understand that.
Not every woman
is an understanding employee.
Mm-hmm. Something like that.
Do you mind if we take
these files with us?
Kind of sort through
them ourselves?
No, no, no,
of course, of course.
Oh, but just do me one favor.
When you catch this guy,
whoever it is,
do you have to mention
where he worked?
It has to come out.
Then if you'll excuse me,
I have to call my stockbroker.
Most of my 401
is in Triax Petroleum stocks.
Here you go.
It's been two hours.
What are the chances
Horsting slipped out the back?
Oh, no, no, trust me.
He's picking his victim.
According to his records,
Horsting used to hit on
any attractive woman
he saw in a bar.
Or anyplace else,
for that matter.
Wonder when he got so choosy.
What?
Oh, no, nothing.
I was just thinking.
You're a good cop.
You know that, Steve?
Sorry we didn't get
to know each other better.
Well, we spent the night
together in a car.
I know what
your favorite
radio station is,
what you take in your coffee
and, uh, why you hated Titanic.
What else is there?
No, I meant before.
All those years
working in the same building.
We never really talked.
Well, it's a big department.
Oh, I see a lot
of your mother in you.
You knew her?
Are you kidding?
I introduced her to your father.
Really?
Sure.
Well, I guess
I should thank you.
You got a girlfriend?
Yeah, I'm, uh, seeing someone.
It's okay with her
that you spend all this time
away from her?
Well, she knows
it's just the job.
They always say that.
Then comes the day
when they don't mean it anymore.
You know, you never know
how much you hurt 'em
until after they leave you.
You know, for a guy
who never got married,
you know a lot.
I do, don't I?
You know, it's good being a cop,
but it's important
to have a life.
If I had a son,
I'd pray that he had both.
Horsting.
I finally got you.
You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
My back's a little sore
from sitting in the car.
Aw, this just
doesn't feel right.
It's him.
Just wait.
Hey!
Come on.
Seen enough?
Police!
Hold it!
Stay with the girl!
You all right?
Oh...
Harry, you okay?
Check him out.
Did I get him?
Yeah, you got him, Harry.
Well, you look like
you got bad news.
Nothing you don't already know.
You've got cancer.
Colon cancer?
That's where it started.
Through your entire body
now, Harry.
So, what have I got, a
couple of weeks, a month?
Didn't have to happen this way.
If you'd just come in...
Oh, cheer up, Mark.
Today's a good day.
Oh, you finished
your life's work...
Now you can die in peace?
Well, there are worse
things, aren't there?
I suppose.
Long as we got the right guy.
They are going to
make this case stick
against him, aren't they?
He's dead, Harry.
You shot him.
I got to know it's him.
Well, his house is full
of violent pornography.
His garage...
A big collection of knives.
Not enough.
Well...
Steve found the makeup
that the clown used
on his last victim
in the glove compartment
of Horsting's truck.
Now there's only one
thing I got to do.
No. Just as soon
as you're a little stronger.
No. It's been
waiting 15 years.
It's the file on the
first clown-killing case.
It's in my home.
I've been waiting a long
time to mark it "closed."
Look, I'm out of here
in a couple hours.
I'll be happy
to go get it for you
if you're a good patient.
Okay, I'll wait.
I'm good at that.
"How does it feel
to switch places, Harry?
"I picked Horsting.
"You killed him.
"What a team we make.
"All the world loves a clown.
0130 hours."
Ah, you're just
in time, Dr. Sloan.
Dinner's almost ready...
Fresh salmon, lightly seasoned,
and it's great for you.
You're the Clown Killer.
Of course I am.
You murdered
16 women.
Mmm... closer to 40,
but who's counting?
But I don't understand.
You-you have a family.
You must put some value
on human life.
Well, it wouldn't
be fun otherwise.
Those women you murdered,
they're no different
than your wife or your kids.
Oh, I would never do
to my wife or kids
what I do to those women.
Cheryl...
Cheryl,
stop pulling Jimmy's hair.
Now, how would you like it
if he did that to you?
Geez...
complicated guy, aren't I?
Howard?
How long until dinner, honey?
Another five minutes.
It's not like I wouldn't
like to do it to my wife.
I mean, I would
if it was something
she could survive,
but, as we both
know... it's not.
Are you aware
of how sick you are?
You can't go on
with the killing.
We'll stop you.
Well, from what I
read in the papers,
you already have.
The Clown Killer is
dead... case closed.
Boy, everybody must
be so relieved.
I mean, I know that I
feel so much safer now.
Will you be staying for dinner?
No, thank you,
Mrs. Weber.
I feel a little sick.
Oh, I'm sure it'll pass.
Oh, uh, Doctor...
you know,
all the stuff I just said...
I was just clowning around.
Howard Weber
is the clown.
I thought Randy Horsting
was the clown.
You remember Randy Horsting,
don't you, Lieutenant?
That's the fellow
your commanding officer
shot in the back last night.
Weber set Horsting up
to save himself.
Well, you can tell that
to Horsting's relatives
when they launch a $90 million
wrongful death suit
against the department.
We can actually say
that it wasn't our fault.
Horsting was a violent rapist
fleeing police pursuit.
At least that's
what looks good
on the report.
I tracked down three
of his previous victims.
They all confirmed
that he raped them
and threatened to kill them
if they press charges.
That's reassuring.
You know, maybe we
should put this
on top of the press release.
That way people won't
look at the small print
where it actually says,
"Oops, we still
haven't found the clown."
But we know who he is now.
Let's tear his house apart,
or better yet,
let me bring him in.
What am I going to base
the search warrant on?
His confession, for one thing.
Ah...
would that be the confession
that he gave you
while he was barbecuing
dinner for his kids?
Hmm?
The judge will love that.
So what's your
alternative, Captain?
To let him go on killing?
If Weber is the clown,
he's not going to kill now,
especially since
we closed the case
and there is the possibility
that we may be watching him.
Unless that just
makes it better.
All right. All right.
I will authorize a 24-hour watch
on Weber for two weeks...
but if one word leaks out
that we are not sure
that Horsting was the clown,
I will pull the surveillance.
Is that understood?
Yes, sir.
Weber is smart.
He'll just wait till
he's out of the country
to keep on killing.
Well...
then it won't be our problem,
will it?
Come to finish me off, Mark?
What do you mean?
You got the murder
weapon in your hand.
That's the file on the first
Clown Killer case...
The Kit Camry file.
I've only been hanging around
so I can mark
it "closed."
I'm afraid it's not
going to be that easy.
Oh... that's one
thing I learned
after 40 years in homicide.
Dying is always easy;
it's life that's hard.
I went to the house
to get the file...
Then you know what
I'm talking about.
I buried myself for 15 years
hunting for that killer
'cause I knew I was the only one
who could stop him.
In fact,
I stopped living my own life.
I know you forged that letter,
Harry.
I had to.
You brought him back.
I'm sorry about Trudy Shedlow.
I'm sorry about a lot of things.
You know,
I never really hated you
for stealing Katherine away.
Well, you had me fooled.
I pushed her away.
I told myself
that my job was more important
than any relationship.
The fact is, I was afraid
of committing myself
to another person.
You know,
I think she understood that.
Let me have that file.
What's that?
Uh, prescription,
something to help you sleep.
Ah.
Pen?
Yes, sir.
Hello.
Oh, Dr. Sloan.
I'm afraid you
just missed Howard.
He's on his way to the refinery.
This time, I'm here
to see you and the kids.
I don't understand.
Didn't Howard tell you?
I'm heading up Triax Petroleum's
new family health care program.
My goal is to start
personalizing
the service a little.
Well, it's about time.
Now, this is the sample
from Trudy Shedlow.
Yes.
And you didn't find it
on Sally Jenkins.
Absolutely not.
I checked and I rechecked.
Then we know for certain
that Sally Jenkins
and Trudy Shedlow
were not murdered
by the same man.
Yes, but you knew that already.
But now I know a lot more.
I won't let you hassle my family
or violate our privacy.
Amanda, this is Howard Weber.
You don't know him,
but you're familiar
with his work.
He's responsible
for Trudy Shedlow.
You impersonated
a Triax physician
in order to extract
personal information
from my wife and children.
You know, I'm glad
you dropped by, Howard.
I've been looking
into your son's eye problem.
Expect to be contacted
by my lawyers.
They're filing a complaint
with the medical association
as we speak.
You know, he's been suffering
from a really nagging case
of desert lice.
It's a sub-species of something
they call pediculus palpebrarum.
It lives in the eyelids
and the eyes,
and it's unique to Saudi Arabia,
and it only takes
the slightest contact
to transfer it from one
human being to another.
The ointment is not working.
Steve Sloan,
please report to pathology.
Mm.
Your concern
for my children is touching,
but they're already being
cared for by a doctor who,
well, unlike you,
will still be practicing
medicine next week.
You know, we found
the same parasite
in Trudy Shedlow's eyelashes,
and she's never been
to Saudi Arabia.
But Randy Horsting has.
More proof that you have caught
and killed the right man.
How gratifying for you.
Just one problem:
Horsting isn't infected
with the parasite.
But your son,
on the other hand, is.
Now, unless he's the clown,
that leaves you.
Hmm. Well, and the thousands
of people who arrive
into the United States
from Saudi Arabia every day.
It is enough to arrest you
and obtain a
search warrant
for your house,
your car and your office.
It's such a waste of time.
Are you sure
you want to do that?
I will walk out of jail tomorrow
an innocent victim
of police incompetence.
Well, I'll be hounded
by the press, of course.
Oh, I'll probably have
to hire a publicist.
Maybe even an agent.
I'll take that chance.
And the public, of course,
will wonder
just who the police shot
and killed the other night
and why.
It may be years before
the police department regains
the public's trust
and respect... if ever.
The good news is
there could be
a book deal in this.
A few more deaths
would really jack up sales.
"Laugh, and the world
laughs with you.
Weep, and you weep alone."
Harry, you didn't
have to do that.
We would have stopped him.
No, Mark.
I had to be the one to stop him.
You know that.
Here's to Detective
Harry Trumble,
a relentless, dedicated cop
who wouldn't even let death
cheat him out
of getting his man.
Hear, hear.
Hear, hear.
To Harry.
I think the chief is going
to have a tough time
hanging on to his job.
In fact, so will I.
Well, we've proved
beyond a doubt
that Howard Weber
was the killer.
We even found his knife
and the makeup buried
in the backyard in a lockbox.
After he was murdered
by a cop who faked letters
from the killer to the media
and after the city paid
$15 million
to Horsting's family
to preempt
a wrongful death suit.
Well, Captain, we stopped him.
You know, in the end,
that's the only thing
that's important.
Well, you tell that
to the special investigator
when the hearings begin
in six weeks.
How you doing?
Fine.
You know, it's funny.
Harry and I were in
the same precinct
most of my career, but...
we only really talked once.
The night Horsting was killed?
Yeah. I get the strange
feeling he was trying
to reach out to me somehow.
I don't know why.
What'd you talk about?
Oh, not much.
Just life, you know?
Yeah. I think so.