Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980): Season 4, Episode 23 - Follow the White Brick Road - full transcript

The U.S. Navy cooperated in the filming of this story about a shipboard heroin ring, lending the Destroyer U.S.S. Whipple and having real-life Admiral Joseph McGittrick play a substantial role as the admiral in charge of the Navy's substance-abuse recovery program. With McGarrett in uniform to supervise, Danno goes undercover as a medic treating an addict and trying to get him to produce his supplier's name with an amnesty promise. Several sailors also have speaking roles.

( upbeat surf theme playing)

( suspenseful theme playing)

(tires screech)

(panting): He got away.

I need more men.

MAN: This is better
than the last time, sailor.

( tense theme playing)

(tires screeching)

Sailor. Sailor, you okay?

What's the matter?

What's the matter, kid?



Haskell.

John... Haskell.

DANNO: Woodley, Albert R.

Damage controlman, seaman first.

Who brought him in, doc?

Shore Patrol. He was DOA.

Murdered. Had to be.

You know, uh, Danny Williams?

Claude Wells, Navy
Investigative Service.

The rumble was he brought in

a kilo of pure heroin, Steve.

I had two men on him,
but he shook them off.

Must have made his drop.

Some payoff.



Yeah. What killed him, doc?

DOCTOR: Don't know.

I'm running a general unknown.

If there's anything
we can do at Five-0

or the county coroner's,
let us know, huh?

Let's go.

Nothing here,
Steve. Nothing at all.

Well, he collects tattoos.

That rose on his right
arm is a fresh one.

Danno, put Kono on it.

Every artist has a signature.

I wanna know who
left that one on the kid.

Right.

If Woodley delivered
that kilo pure...

Yeah. Ten thousand
jolts floating around.

Claude, uh, who's John Haskell?

Dealer, supplier?
Nobody we know.

I do.

WELLS: The USS John Haskell

leaves Subic Bay
tomorrow morning,

coming back from a tour
with the Seventh Fleet.

JAMESON: When
does she arrive here?

WELLS: She's about
15 days from Pearl, sir.

McGARRETT: We think another
kilo might be coming in, governor.

We'd like to try to find it and
keep it under surveillance.

Well, that's a big risk.

Well, Navy's used
to taking risks.

Qualified risks.

The Navy has the same problems

that you have, governor.

Some of our men face
bigger risks from drugs

than they do from bullets.

You have an undercover
man on the Haskell?

Yes, sir. He's been
keeping the skipper posted.

Chief Hospital
Corpsman Franklyn.

He was in my command in Vietnam

before joining the Haskell.

A good man.

Steve... what would you say to

planting one of your
men aboard the Haskell?

My very thought, sir.

Now, Steve, looks
like you're going to get

your reserve training
early this year.

I'd like to, uh, hold that ace
until we need it, governor.

A good cover would
be an assistant

to the chief medical corpsman.

That way he could work
closely with Franklyn.

We could put him
aboard at Subic.

Got a man who qualifies?

Yeah, I got just the one.

( upbeat surf theme playing)

( suspenseful theme playing)

Man. Four more days to Pearl.

I don't know if I
can hack it that long.

Time flies when you're
having so much fun.

Hey, doc, we just had

sanitation inspection
two days ago.

I got this pain, doc.

Too sick for duty, right?

Well, with cooks like you,

I can diagnose
without examination.

Ptomaine poisoning.

Ha-ha. Very funny.

You'll have it in
the plan of the day.

How else can I help?

Sir, we haven't even turned
up a joint of marijuana so far.

Less than six days
left to Pearl Harbor.

There's a good possibility

that whoever's carrying
the stuff onboard

is an addict himself.

That's terrible.

That's why we'd like
you to keep stressing

the exemption program
all the way to Pearl.

Especially since it offers

amnesty to the addict.

I'll contact Armed Forces Radio.

Ask 'em to keep pushing.

What else?

Keep looking.

( suspenseful theme playing)

KONO: Can you
identify the artist?

This is not art.

Well, whoever did it?

Some nearsighted wino

in a mainland
clip joint, no doubt.

This?

Oh... my.

It's genius.

But whose genius?

John Surigao.

He came in, showed
me some old work.

Very poor, but I promised
him I could do better.

A-and I did. There's
more green tea.

No, thanks. How
long was he here?

It took me less
than a half hour.

He died that afternoon.
Down near Hotel Street.

The s... The same sailor?
The one in the papers?

Yeah. Albert Woodley.
Twenty years old.

Hard to believe. So young a man.

He was murdered.

Murdered? The same man?

The one from my own shop?

Hm.

Hm.

To die so young.

KONO: What is that?

I smoke Philippine cigarettes.

They're very inexpensive.

You're a frugal
man, Mr. Surigao.

A man has to learn
to savor what he has.

Did Woodley say
where he was going?

What was on his mind? Anything?

No. No.

To die so young.

Sometimes it comes back.

If you remember anything
at all, just call us, huh?

Fine, fine, fine. Fine.

Okay, Kono. I wanna know
his bank account, friends,

where he goes, what he
eats for breakfast, the works.

You think he knows
more than he told us?

I don't know.

I don't know. But I do know

he's the last man to
see Woodley alive.

( majestic theme playing)

Are you Dillon?

Yeah, I'm Dillon.

I'm Salton. Arte Salton.

(panting)

I need help.

Better go see the chaplain.

We got four more days.
I'm not gonna make it.

Look. I'm night watch,
you're day watch.

We'll just leave
it that way, huh?

I-I shot my last deck.

I-I need a couple of
dime bags, that's all.

(exhales, yawns)

Did you try the ship's stores?

Al Woodley told me that
you dealt for him in Nam.

That shop is closed, man.

(exasperated): I can pay.

Look, I thought I was just
chipping, but I-I-I'm hooked.

(panting)

What am I gonna do tomorrow?

You do what we all do.

You hang in there.

If you don't help me out,

I-I'll blow the whistle
on you. I swear I will.

Eight dime bags do you?

Yeah.

I don't have it on me.
What are you, crazy?

Take it while I got it.

(mutters)

When?

Tonight, 2200. In
the machine shop.

I don't think I can
hack it that long.

You don't think you can hack it?

I gotta wait till my
watch changes.

Be there at 2200. You
don't have any choice.

( dramatic theme playing)

( tense theme playing)

(panting)

DOC: An alkaloid. That's
what killed Albert Woodley.

Some kind of alkaloid.

Doc, that's like
saying that death

was caused by a bullet.

Now, give me some lands
and grooves, will you?

What alkaloid?

I'm down to the rare ones.
You might even say exotic.

(sighs)

I'm scanning between 4,
500 reciprocal centimeters.

(clicks off)

We lucked out.

Aconitine.

What is it? I never heard of it.

Uh, rare, Steve. Very rare.

I suspected it, but I've never

actually encountered aconitine

as a cause of death.

In all my years, I have
never seen anything like this.

Well, Doc, please, now,

spare me the historical
moments, will you?

What is it?!

The Aconitum napellus.

A common plant.

Um, Monk's Hood, you'd call it.

Well, what did he do? Eat it?

What is it: a
vine, a leaf, what?

It would have to be distilled.

Ten milligrams, less
than a single drop,

could cause death
inside an hour.

Well, how did Woodley get it?

Well... you could
introduce aconitine orally,

intravenously, subcutaneously.

It could even be absorbed
directly into moist skin.

Now, wait a minute.
Let me understand this.

You mean that a single drop

on a man's sweaty
hand, for instance,

could cause death?

In less than an hour.

(dials phone)

Chin, impound everything at
that tattoo shop of Surigao's.

Dyes, needles, the works.
And get them over to the lab.

This is a wild hunch, but
I want Doc to check it out.

( upbeat theme playing)

Hey, doc.

You must've read my mind.

Something the matter?

I got a real bad
headache. I can't sleep.

Come on in.

Man, I'm glad you came, doc.

What's your name?

Arte Salton.

(panting)

Let me see your eyes, Arte.

Uh, it's not my eyes, doc.

(sighs)

(clears throat)

I-I must be getting
a cold or something.

You're using.

Me?

No.

I... I was snorting
a little in Nam.

Lots of guys tried
something just to stay normal.

Normal? You're strung out.

Not me.

I... I just need to relax.

Come on, doc. Give me a
couple of reds or something.

You've got 'em all.

Dilated pupils... runny nose,

sweating, yawning...

I took some antibiotics.

For the cold, you know?

Look, Salton, I can
help you. And I want to.

You've heard about
the exemption program.

No court-martial. You'll
get medical treatment.

Bull, doc. What is this? A
guy comes in with a cold,

you try to do a whole number...
You're hooked. You're hooked.

You know it, I know it.

And by tomorrow,
everybody will know it.

I'm just chipping
a little, that's all.

Salton, you're an
addict. An addict.

You wanna start
stealing and dealing,

and wind up in the junkyard?

Or do you wanna try
to quit it now with help?

I'll think about it, okay?

That's not good enough.

What's my choice, then?

If I turn you in, you
get busted and the brig.

If you turn yourself in under
the exemption program,

you get clear, and nothing less
than an honorable discharge.

Look, the chances are...

you won't get by the
screening test anyway.

Turn myself in?

You ask a lot, doc.

The Navy's giving a lot.

(gasps)

Okay.

Give me 15 minutes,
and I'll be back.

Why not now?

I need time to get my
head into this thing.

Okay. Fifteen minutes.

You turn yourself
in, or I have to.

( suspenseful theme playing)

S-A-L-T-O-N.

Salton, Arthur.

Steve, he's jumpy. In bad shape.

McGARRETT (on phone): Yeah.

Careful not to
scare him off, Danno.

Letting him go was a big gamble.

I hated to, but I was
afraid of blowing my cover.

Yeah. Yeah, you
had to let him go.

You must not blow your cover.

We have a lot more at stake here

than one hooked kid.

But so far, he's
our only chance.

I came for my 80 bucks.

You're early.

I'm going for exemption.

I figured I didn't
need the nod, so...

I'd like to have my 80 back.

That's terrific.

That's a good idea.

No pain, no strain.

Yeah, sure.

Whatever you say. (sighs)

(chuckles)

Don't know what I did with it.

No more jolts, huh?

No more sweet dreams?

You better count it.

I don't wanna cheat you.

It's okay.

Hey, Salton.

We got four more days to Pearl.

Man, that's a long time.

You know if they've got
anything for you onboard ship?

(exhales)

Keep your skull from blowing up?

Four days.

I hate to have to
see you kick it cold.

(panting)

It's okay.

You know, if I was you,
I'd wait till we got to Pearl.

I mean, they have methadone
there for you, for sure.

Man, you get exempted...

don't have to sweat those...

Those days.

Those long nights
with no sweets.

You think they...?

I'll take a chance.
Sweat it out.

(scoffs)

Sweat it out?

Man, you're not gonna
sweat out four minutes,

much less four days.

Exemption? Sure.

What's the difference
now, or four days from now?

Be safe.

Be easy.

( dramatic theme playing)

It's beautiful stuff.

Pure.

( tense them playing)

MAN (on PA): Bow
to duty corpsmen.

Lay to the after-gun
mount, on the double.

He's still alive.

CHE: The scrapings
off Woodley's shoes:

pocket lint, hair,
clothing, hat.

All zero, Steve.

Just this.

From under the
fingernails of his right hand.

Fingernails? What is it?

It's a granular
chemical compound.

The crystalline
structure's not too helpful.

Well, is it coal
dust, dandruff, what?

It's a compound.

Contains potassium, some
carbon derivative and a dye.

(snapping)

Woodley had that heroin
hidden somewheres onboard.

Now, could it be
maybe, just maybe,

that when he dug down to get it,

this stuff could have
caught under his fingernails?

There must be a hundred
compounds on his ship, Steve.

I'd have to compare
each of them to this.

Well, could you
narrow it down any?

I... I'd be guessing. Guess.

Well, the combination
could include explosives,

dye markers, signal
flares, cleaning compound.

Steve, it would take me
days to go through all of them.

Che... I don't have days.

(puts slide down)

( tense theme playing)

You know, I know
more about John Surigao

than his own mother...

who incidentally still
lives in the Philippines.

He sends her 30 bucks a month.

His bank account
shows, um... $1,027.43.

Anything from the
lab on his equipment?

Nope. Inks, dyes,
needles, all clean.

Any priors?

Yeah. Arrest jacket shows one.

Heh-heh. 1959.

Driving too slow on
Moanalua Freeway.

Danny had a suspect.

He thought the guy
might be the dealer.

He just called in.

Found the guy almost
dead from an overdose.

Gonna make it?

In a coma.

( suspenseful theme playing)

Che, take a look.

(dialing phone)

Steve?

McGARRETT (on phone): Yes, Che.

CHE (on phone):
Remember the scrapings I got

from under
Woodley's fingernails?

McGARRETT: You mean,
the, uh... The granulated stuff?

The granulated material?

CHE: Right. They
were the key, Steve.

McGARRETT: What did you find?

CHE: Potassium chlorinate.

We went through
hundreds of slide samples

and narrowed it down
to that precise derivative.

McGARRETT: Isn't that we
used to call Purple-K in the Navy?

CHE: Right. The dry packing
in the fire extinguishers.

McGARRETT: Then
it's a fair guess...

he's got the stuff
under his fingernails

if the the H was stashed
in an extinguisher.

CHE: That's how I figured.

McGARRETT: You got
us a lead, Che. Good work.

Looks like I've got an
ocean cruise in the making.

CHE: Good luck.

McGARRETT: Thanks, Che. Thanks.

( upbeat military theme playing)

CAPTAIN: Fire extinguishers?
McGARRETT: Yeah. Purple-K.

Potassium bicarbonate.

It's our best guess that's where

Woodley had his brick hidden.

Can you help us
on this, captain?

We're running out of time.

I'll run a test exercise.

It's a bit odd for two
days out of Pearl,

but, uh... it'll keep 'em busy.

MAN (on PA): This
is a drill. This is a drill.

Man overboard, starboard side.

Man overboard, starboard side.

All hands muster at quarters.

This is a drill.
This is a drill.

Man overboard, starboard side.

Man overboard, starboard side.

All hands muster at quarters.

( action theme playing)

Did you check out
who's responsible

for keeping the fire
extinguishers filled?

Only one man on the T.O.

Damage controlman named Dillon.

( suspenseful theme playing)

( upbeat military theme playing)

( suspenseful theme playing)

Anything?

KONO: Nothing.

Okay. McGarrett.

Chin. I've got a clear view
of anyone coming down.

Nothing yet, Steve.

All right, we'll stay with it.

( suspenseful theme playing)

(sighs)

Steve...

(on radio): maybe
we're wrong about Dillon.

Suspect coming
down, Steve. Do I tail?

No. Leave him to NIS.
They're on top of it.

Let's keep our eyes peeled
for everything going on

and coming off that ship.

Steve. Ship's empty
except for a token watch.

What will we do?

What we always
do, Danno. We wait.

We wait.

(sighs)

CHIN HO (on radio): Steve.

I see him.

Checking shore power.

You know your way?

In my sleep.

Request permission
to go ashore, sir.

Permission granted.

( suspenseful theme playing)

Danny.

Five-0. Now, talk
fast. Who's the dealer?

I don't know. I don't
know anything...

What do you mean you don't know?

I don't know. It's just
200 bucks for the pickup.

That's all I know.
That's honest.

You're in trouble, buddy.

Ten to 20, at hard time.

Now, talk fast.
Who's the dealer?

Look, I got a call. I just
got a call on the telephone.

A guy knows I work on the docks,

he says I can
make an extra buck.

How do you get paid off?

In the mail. It
comes in the mail.

I mean, y-you got
to give me a break.

I-I don't even know
what's in there.

Yeah?

Hey.

Okay... make your drop.

Th... I mean,
bring it? I mean...

I mean... me? This?

Yeah, that.

(top clatters)

You switched.

It's sawdust!

You know what they'll
do to me? They'll kill me!

That's your problem.
Your problem.

Okay, okay, okay.

I'll do anything you ask.

I'll do it just like you say.

But, you... But you
gotta protect me.

All right.

I'm gonna give you back
one kilo of pure horse,

and you're gonna make your
drop. You understand that?

But you promise to protect me?

Come on, let's go.

( suspenseful theme playing)

Step inside, please.

Five-0.

Step inside, please.

Open the bag.

Open it.

I won it in a crap
game on the Haskell.

Sure. You're
under arrest, sailor.

You'll be held in
custody at Five-0

until we can turn you
over to the Navy authorities.

We'll check your fingerprints.

You'll have a good
time explaining

how Surigao got aboard
the Haskell to shoot craps.

You're out of the dirty
junk business, sailor.

Like five to ten in Portsmouth?

Chin.

Danno, get the back.

( suspenseful theme playing)

Freeze!

Please, leave it alone.
Don't take it away from me!

That's my money!

Shut up.

Sure, it's your money.

You can spend what's left

after back taxes and penalties.

Maybe you can spend every cent

after you get out
of federal pen.

Maybe in 50 years.
Now, get him out of here.

That's my money. Don't
take away my money!

That's my money!
I work hard for it!

Don't take away my money.

What's the word on Salton?

He should have grabbed
the exemption program

when you offered it.

He died this morning.

( dramatic theme playing)

( upbeat surf theme playing)