Kojak (1973–1978): Season 1, Episode 9 - Conspiracy of Fear - full transcript
Kojak's operative, an undercover lawyer, is killed investigating endless opportunities for graft provided by an elaborate makeover for an inner city neighborhood. The hoods make the murder appear to be an auto accident, delighting those who'll benefit from the bottomless pork barrel. The developer has a spotless rep, plus a mistress working for the planning commission, forcing Kojak to use unconventional tactics to confront the cabal.
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Here he comes.
That oughta do it.
Okay.
Hold it.
His glasses.
Ready?
Wait a minute.
Down to six seconds.
We're down to five, four.
Did you say New York
by 14, Fowler?
Yeah?
Looks like you'll pick up
the turkey tab again.
Over to Frazier!
Let him block!
Come on!
Some guy from Traffic
wants to know if you know
a StanleyJacobi.
Yeah?
We got the body out of the car.
They're bringing it up now.
We found his I.D.
And your card, Lieutenant.
How did it happen?
Looks like
he fell asleep.
Fell asleep?
After making that curve?
I've seen 'em nod
in the middle of a drag race.
Who all has been notified?
We reached his boss, a Roy Dennison,
in the bar at the St. Andrew.
Deputy Coroner Feingold,
uh, was notified...
and will meet the attendant
at the city morgue.
Stavros.
Get on the horn.
Notify Feingold's office
that I want that autopsy report
as soon as it's completed.
- I want to be the first man
in this borough to take a look at it.
- Okay, Lieutenant.
Assembly Paul Murchison.
Go right on in,
Mr. Assemblyman.
Been holding this booze
for an hour and a half.
I'm sorry, Whit.
There was a very ugly bill in Albany.
I just had to go against it.
Margie. Sid.
Mmm.
Who is that,
and why don't I know?
Jeri Devereaux.
She's executive secretary
to the zoning commission.
That's the secretary?
Mmm.
All the members
of the zoning commission
were invited.
Isn't that Baker,
the commission chairman?
Mm-hmm.
Thought he never went out.
He does when you've just made
a $5,000 donation
to his wife's favorite charity.
I see.
Excuse me.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Ladies and gentlemen!
The commercial!
Would you all
please sit down.
Thank you.
I don't know most of you,
except by reputation.
To be official,
I'm Whitney Farrow.
I build things.
In the last six years...
I've built four stadiums...
uh, stadia, I guess...
a retirement community,
state exposition and several dozen
shopping complexes.
It's, uh...
It's been interesting, people.
It's been what
I wanted my life to be.
And the nicest thing of all
is that looking back...
I can honestly say that I've never
once sold a customer something
that he really didn't want or need.
That's been
my guiding principle...
never to move into a city
and tell the leaders of the community
what they need,
but to ask.
Ask... Ask if they'd like
what I'm presenting to them,
as I'm asking you tonight,
ladies and gentlemen,
members of the zoning commission.
And, uh, if you say no, well,
I'll just fold up my specs
and move on.
At the moment
it's called Audubon Gardens.
That's also subject to change.
I'll shut up till the light show is over.
That's great!
Good evening.
Do you have an invitation?
Oh! Fat Feeney.
You lost a lot of weight.
Why don't you
send yourself up, Kojak?
You could use
a Sing Sing slimming.
You're gonna
get five more years for that.
Hey, look, you got an assemblyman
in there by the name of Murchison
watching those blue films?
Tell him there's a cop out here
gonna give him a ticket for peeking
at these porno pictures.
Go ahead.
Which way are we looking now?
Oh, uh... Oh, we're looking across,
uh, east of 17 th Street.
The frontage
is about one third of a mile.
Couldn't this wait
until morning?
A man is dead, counselor.
Ayoung man working undercover.
Name is StanleyJacobi.
That ring a bell?
No.
Working undercover on what?
Well, you know, a raider. Young lawyer.
Citizen's committee, searching for the truth.
A dreamer,
if you know what I mean.
That's it.
If you think it's right for New York,
I'm in the phone book. Thank you.
Let's hear your whole theory,
Lieutenant.
A whole lot of bricks and steel
and wood and plastic
goes into a deal this size.
You know, a five percent kickback
on light bulbs alone...
is enough to send a guy
to Tahiti for life.
Lieutenant,
the state and the government
have adequate safeguards...
to see that their share of the investment
is dispersed with no suspicion
of graft or skimming.
What are you trying to do, counselor,
buy my vote?
Don't you think I know
what goes into a deal like this?
A Niagara of money
goes into a project this size.
Everybody's got his little cup out looking
to catch a couple of drops for himself.
But somebody put out a barrel,
and StanleyJacobi found out about it.
I want you
to postpone this meeting.
I wanna get the guy
who shoved Jacobi off that highway,
because he doesn't belong in this deal...
he belongs in a cage.
I doubt if we're contemplating
making any deals
with known murderers, Lieutenant.
This is an urgent plan
for a disadvantaged part of the city...
proposed by
the most reputable of developers.
I do not intend to delay it
because you have some sort of hunch
about a highway accident.
In other words, buzz off.
Power to the people.
Right, Mr. Assemblyman?
Ciao, baby.
What was that all about?
A detective lieutenant
bucking for captain's bars.
He won't be back.
Oh?
I seem to remember somebody
saying that about Napoleon.
I wasn't expecting you, Whit.
I had to take Admiral Rawlins
back to his hotel.
Good party, huh?
Discounting the conspicuousness
of Mrs. Farrow's absence.
Oh, uh, a sudden attack
of the vapors.
Oh.
Discussing your wife with your mistress
is a foolish charade, huh?
And I love you.
Amended sentence.
As much as you can love anybody.
Before I forget,
if the commission approves rezoning,
rumor has it there'll be 50 million
available in public funds.
Fantastic!
We could push
the whole thing through.
No compromises,
no cutting corners,
no worrying
about nickels and dimes.
I thought you'd be pleased.
Hey.
Does it bother you so much
to please me?
Not if you don't lie to me.
I don't have a lot of hopes
and dreams about us.
But I appreciate the truth.
I need it...
Whit.
Uh, first let's see the tin.
Oh, yeah.
Oh. My hero.
You oughta spring for
a new holster, sonny boy.
That torpedo there's
bendin' your suit.
Come on. Follow me.
Uh-huh.
StanleyJacobi worked for you,
Mr. Dennison?
Wait a minute.
What are you talking about
this time of night?
He had an accident.
I've already been informed.
It's terrible.
Now, unless there's something
really urgent...
You carry about five or ten thousand
in cash on you, right?
I never carry any cash.
Why?
Well, those, uh,
those two meatballs out there.
You know exactly
what I do, Lieutenant.
When Whit Farrow builds something,
I'm the one who lets out the bids.
I hire the subcontractors.
I make the best deal I can
on everything from concrete
to grass seed.
Oh, I see. You're the one
who makes sure nobody steals
a couple of bricks, a bag of sand.
Right?
Exactly.
You still didn't answer my question.
How about those two
spicy meatballs out there?
Well, people try to buy me.
They pressure me at times.
I could make a businessman rich
with a phone call.
Uh-huh. How aboutJacobi?
What can you do for him
with a phone call?
You mean hurt him?
Why would I want to do that?
He was a bright, young lawyer.
He came up with a lot of new,
clever tax gimmicks.
And he was clever enough
to find his way
into your private books.
He discovered you had
a couple million dollars' worth
of sandbags...
in your private
Swiss bank account... Hey!
Those are public funds.
You can get into a lot of trouble
and be sent up for a long time
skimming off the top.
- What do you think you're talking about?
- "What do you think you're talking about?"
What do I think I'm talking about?
I'm talking about murder, dummy.
If you didn't have that badge, I'd...
What badge?
Don't let the posse turn you off.
He was a nice guy.
He had guts.
He had something
you know nothing about... morality.
I don't have to listen...
Hey.
You're not gonna get away with this.
Not with murder you're not.
Yeah?
Uh, that's interesting.
Sure. Sure, thanks.
I'll talk to you later.
That was my attorney,
Lieutenant.
You'd better get back
to the station house.
They'll be bringing you in
an autopsy report.
Poor Stanley.
Must've been driving too fast.
Accidental death
due to a highway mishap.
Check the coroner's office?
Yeah.
Well, give, already!
How do they explain leaking Jacobi's
autopsy report to Dennison's lawyer?
It wasn't leaked.
It was subpoenaed by the office
of Assemblyman Paul Murchison.
Oh, that's cute.
Assemblyman Paul Murchison.
That way he's gotta roust
the judge out of bed, right?
Right.
Very, very cute.
Hello there.
- This is from the road, right?
And this from the car?
- Yes, sir. Right.
All right, get on the horn.
You tell McNeil's office
that I want to book a guest shot
before the zoning commission.
Here. Find out whereJacobi
had his glasses made.
And see this here?
Check it out thoroughly.
Maybe there's a chance
it might be prescription glass.
Right.
Don't you think I'm brilliant?
Sure.
Sure.
Now, this first line shows
the trajectory of a vehicle...
going off the highway...
at approximately 55 miles an hour.
Now, even allowing for
the lessening of speed
going through this guard rail,
the vehicle
would have landed here.
Now, early this morning...
I had StanleyJacobi's car
brought back up the road.
I had them start the engine,
and I had them put it into drive.
From a standing start,
his vehicle landed here,
exactly where it was found
at 9.55 last night
when the traffic officers spotted it.
You're saying that you believe
thatJacobi was stopped on the parkway...
Rendered unconscious
and then shoved off the road
to make it look like an accident.
I'm sure we're all impressed
with the, uh, zeal...
you bring to your job, Lieutenant,
but I, for one, am still uncertain
as to why you've asked to testify here.
This is a zoning commission hearing,
not a coroner's inquest.
I've asked to testify,
Assemblyman,
for the same reason
I tried to spell it out to you last night.
Now, you've been asked to approve
a 350-acre project.
Let me tell you this.
When the ball starts rolling
on Audubon Gardens,
there's gonna be so much money
kicking around that you're
not gonna be able to stop it.
And why should they?
Well, because in a few months
it won't be known as Audubon Gardens,
but as Kickback City.
Wait.
Wait just a minute, Kojak.
This is my project.
What are you accusing me of?
I'm not accusing you
of anything, sir.
Roy Dennison.
I believe StanleyJacobi was about
to find out something about him.
Dennison?
No. I don't believe it.
I don't believe
you have a thing on him.
What would you recommend
the zoning commission do, Lieutenant?
I respectfully recommend, sir,
that no decision be made today.
Not at least until our investigation
has been concluded.
Well, since it can only vindicate Roy,
that's a suggestion
I'll reluctantly endorse,
Chairman Baker.
If there are no dissenting opinions,
this hearing stands adjourned...
until such time as the directors
of the Audubon project
request a further review.
I think, Lieutenant, you may find
you've overreached yourself.
Oh. My slip is showing.
You've been meddling
in areas which, even by the most
liberal interpretation of your duties,
are none of your business.
So you're telling me
to shut up and sit down.
Since candor is to be the currency
of this conversation, yes.
That would be
my considered recommendation.
Candor. So we're into candor now.
Right, Assemblyman?
Well, since you gave me your candid opinion,
let me give you mine.
Stick with the small boys, sonny.
You're in a heavyweight division.
I see.
How does Staten Island
strike you, Lieutenant?
Or would you prefer to while away
your twilight years...
in Jackson Heights?
Well, since you're
passing out choices, counselor,
why don't you make it Sing Sing?
Just dump me there.
But I'll tell you something...
I'll be waiting for you with a welcome wagon
when your pie wagon arrives.
You're all death wish,
aren't you, Kojak?
No, all nose.
Maybe I can understand
your subpoenaing the autopsy report.
Maybe even justifying
your interest in it.
But one thing I can't stand,
and that's the stink of
your leaking it to Dennison's lawyer.
Make some friends, Kojak.
Make lots of friends.
You're going to need them.
Tell me about it, sweetheart.
Well, we've just lost
another one of our backers.
Twelve million dollars' worth.
United Insurance
decided to pull out.
The delay, it started
to make 'em twitchy.
Have the check drawn.
Bring it to me for signature,
and deliver it to United
at the close of the business day.
Farrow Construction.
Yes.
Mr. Marchette.
Victor.
Word's around
your passengers are jumping ship.
So tell me, skipper,
how come I'm not worrying, huh?
Tell me.
Why shouldn't I raise a sweat? Why?
Well, because
there's nothing to worry about.
Oh, you say.
What if it was your money?
Well, then it wouldn't matter,
would it?
I'd be my own man, Marchette,
not yours.
No way.
You know who's his own man?
Hmm? Nobody.
Now, let's face it...
who wants to be a nobody?
Ever since Watergate,
I stay on the phone too long
I get hives.
We need to meet,
eyeball to eyeball.
Lieutenant, this guy
who worked for Farrow...
Dennison?
Mm-hmm.
What about him?
Just killed himself.
Bottle of barbiturates.
Hey, look, if you gotta go
it beats a cement kimono.
He leave a note?
Yeah.
I see. Short and sweet.
Written with a cannon
under his nose.
You're saying this wasn't suicide?
Come on. Are you kidding?
It's got mob written all over it.
This guy wasn't depressed.
Last time I was here,
he had a couple of house pets.
You round them up,
you can put this in the "out" basket.
Then we gotta find out
who's giving them orders.
Theo.
May I see you a minute?
Yeah.
So I won't bother asking...
Do you know how much trouble
that kind of loose mouth can get you into?
Or how much trouble
it can cause the department?
You're talking about
Assembly Paul Murchison, right?
You're damn right I am.
Where do you get
the 14-karat chutzpah
to talk to an elected official like that,
and in front of a dozen witnesses?
Hey, look, Mac, uh,
I'm into something.
Oh, you're onto something?
You'll be on to men's ready-wear
if Murchison has his way.
What kind of an answer is that?
"Hey, Mac, I'm onto something."
I can't explain now.
Not yet. Not now.
That's beautiful.
That is... That is arrogance.
You can't explain?
All of a sudden you've opened up
your own police department?
What am I supposed to do,
take the family to Lake Placid?
No, Mac.
You're supposed to trust me.
Roy Dennison is dead!
He was my closest associate.
So what?
You're clean.
And Kojak's out of suspects
for theJacobi bump.
Roy and I
worked together for years.
Yeah, well, we're
working together now.
Your friend Roy got a little sloppy,
and I had to clean up the mess.
You oughta be thanking me.
Nobody's got anything on you.
But more important than that,
these investors pulling out,
now, that could hurt us.
But murder won't?
Kojak didn't leaveJacobi's death an accident.
Do you think he's gonna
leave Dennison's a suicide?
Oh, come on, come on.
He's gotta bury both of them
sooner or later.
I need money! I have to look
as solid on paper as Fort Knox!
I have to be beyond reproach, suspicion.
You asked for 50 million.
We gave it to you.
You said you could get backers
for the rest of it.
Now, if you needed more
you should've said so going in.
Tell me something.
How does a smart operator like you
get in a hole like this?
One does get into
legitimate problems.
Short money for loans, taxes, or...
You wouldn't know about taxes,
would you?
No, I wouldn't know about taxes.
Not at all.
Hey.
You came to the organization.
You sold us condominiums,
marinas, shopping centers,
a hundred different businesses.
You put it all in our hands,
all at one time.
And all you and your pal Dennison,
what did you want?
To skim a bundle
off the contracts.
U-Uh, l-I'll still deliver.
L-I need money. I need more money!
Money. What do you know
about money, huh?
You little snot-nose.
What do you know about money?
You know what I did for money
when I was your age? Huh?
Well, I'll tell you.
First I got a rock, then a shiv,
and when I could afford it,
I got a cannon.
I was on top of the world.
I couldn't do anything wrong.
So what are you cryin' about, huh?
We gave you millions!
What did you give us?
Just a front
with your Harvard business degree.
You'd better deliver.
You understand?
Do you understand me?
Photo of a fragment of glass
found on the shoulder of the road.
Here's a specimen of glass
found in a Chicago optometrist's file.
Glasses made forJacobi
three years ago, when he was
just getting out of law school.
Then there's no doubt
in the world.
Whoever brokeJacobi's glasses
did it on the parkway.
So it was murder.
Always a thrill.
Okay,
how's it going for you?
Oh, I'm in like Flynn.
That little scene
outside the commission office
earned me nothing but brownie points.
Well, let's hope so.
I been gettin' nothin' but static
from my division commander.
Had to make it look good, didn't I?
Yeah.
Sometimes you wonder
who's doing what to who and for what.
A couple of staged arguments
is one thing.
Even leaking that autopsy report
to one of Dennison's stooges.
But supposing they get down
to offering "X" number of dollars...
to buy me, my office
and the clout that goes with it?
What are we gonna do
about that one?
Not even the grand jury
knows we're working together on this.
If something happened to you
and some of this stuff came out,
how the hell would I ever
convince anybody I was only pretending
to go onto the syndicate's payroll?
What do you want me to tell you?
For your sake, Assemblyman,
you'd better hope I stay healthy.
Come on.
I'll buy you a popcorn.
So you still don't know
who his angel is, huh?
No. If Farrow's in bed with
the wise guys, you couldn't prove it
by anything he's said so far.
Well, maybe by something he does.
Look, he's in a lot of trouble.
Right?
A lot of these heavy investors
have started to pull out.
If we can delay
that commission ruling
for just a little while,
there's gonna be
a regular stampede.
He's gonna be forced
to go to the moustache boys
for additional financing.
I'm not so sure he'll get them.
I made a remark earlier
to the effect that he'd have to
shake his money tree again.
He said,
"The money tree is white birch.
It doesn't transplant well."
"White birch"?
What does that make you think of?
New England.
Massachusetts. Connecticut.
Farrow was operating
in New England...
as an overseas investment consultant
for several banks.
That was in 1966,
before he went into
the real estate business.
Yeah, you know, a lot of these
moustache boys are known for
stashing their dough in Switzerland,
for getting into
this foreign investment.
Maybe this is where Farrow
came in contact with them.
I'll get on him in the morning.
All I need is an ax.
An ax?
I can't tell a lie.
I'm gonna chop down the money tree.
Listen, has it occurred to you,
if I'm right...
if his backers
won't ante up any more cash...
then Farrow has to find a way
to pressure the commission into
handing out a favorable ruling now?
Mm-hmm. Excuse me.
This crossed my mind, counselor.
How's he gonna do it?
I mean, what's his handle?
I understand
there was a brief meeting
of the zoning commission this afternoon...
with Lieutenant Kojak present.
Do you know the difference between
sworn personnel and ordinary employees?
I don't see what that has to do with...
Sworn personnel raise their right hand
and swear a kind of allegiance to their duties.
The idea is
that people can trust them.
I hardly ever have a conversation with you
in which I don't violate that oath at least once.
I am touched.
I hadn't seen myself
as the subverter of...
Don't make fun of me.
I just mentioned it in passing.
Yes, there was
a brief meeting this afternoon.
Kojak reviewed Dennison's records.
He said he doubts the suicide
was a suicide.
That's all he had?
That's all specifically.
Is there so much more
for him to find out?
Look,
Jeri,
I hadn't even heard ofJacobi
before he went off that highway.
Dennison hired him
for personal business.
You know how close I was with Roy.
Then what are you afraid of?
Failure?
You said yourself at the party,
if they rejected your proposal
you'd throw in...
I know what I said!
Honey, it's not that simple.
I have partners.
Partners?
You know that bright
and shining future I promised us?
If this thing falls through,
we'll be lucky if we can swap it
for a tin cup and a fistful of pencils.
Darling, I'm... I'm sorry.
I hadn't realized...
Suppose, uh...
Suppose I asked the board
to reconvene tomorrow afternoon.
How would the vote go now?
Most of them
are still favorable to you.
Most? Who's against me?
Whit, you're asking me
to violate an oath.
I need the name, love.
I need it now.
Funniest thing. You see,
he had these two grandchildren.
The youngest boy was,
oh, about seven.
The oldest one nine.
They both went to
a very nice private school.
Beckley is the name.
The oldest kid,
his nickname was Spud.
He pitched a three-hitter
in a school game
a couple of months ago.
Whatever happened to him?
Nobody knows.
They just disappeared.
Every day at 3:20,
the bus would pick 'em up...
at the intersection
of Fourth and Willets,
and one day...
They were gone.
- Just a second.
- The youngest kid was nicknamed Champ.
Just a second!
Those are my grandchildren
you're talking about!
The grandfather
could have prevented it, of course,
if he hadn't been so stubborn.
Now, wait. Wait!
Good morning, Mr. Baker.
Anything wrong?
No. Oh, no, no.
There's nothing wrong,
Miss Devereaux.
In May of 1966,
Farrow wasn't even in real estate.
He was district loan officer
for all the Connecticut branches of
the First New England Merchant's Bank.
Are you ready?
Monroe Tool and Dye
was into the bank heavy
when it went bankrupt.
And Roy Dennison?
Chief accountant for Monroe.
How's that?
Well, that's when they met.
Well, I think Dennison
embezzled Monroe for a bundle.
Farrow found out about it,
covered it up.
They didn't just meet.
Baby, they went to bed together.
That's when Farrow Development
got started.
Dennison played with the books,
but it was Farrow
with his Ivy League look...
He's the one
who put it all together.
Audubon Gardens was a project so big
that they could steal a fortune from it
without getting caught.
What about the mob?
Any angle there?
Who knows? Maybe Farrow
made a syndicate contact way back
when he was an officer with the bank.
You know?
Capital to start his business?
Or Dennison,
maybe he was playing around
on the inside with the mob.
Lieutenant!
Line two!
I told you not to interrupt me
unless it was important. Is it a broad?
Someone who says
he shared a bag of popcorn
with you.
You got a secret life going, Theo?
Oh, yeah, tell me about it.
Hello?
We were wondering what Farrow
was gonna use for a handle.
I still don't have the answer,
but he must have found one.
He's asked for an immediate rehearing
before the commission.
I am asking, in effect,
for a vote of confidence...
in our city, in ourselves.
Now, there have been several...
Startling, rather tragic events
in the past few hours,
and there are rumors
and some serious misgivings
to investors in the Audubon...
I heard there were
more than misgivings.
Yes. The redrawn prospectus
eliminates three former sponsors.
It is precisely to avoid
losing these investors that I come
before the committee this morning.
Frankly, I think this whole delay...
contributed to
Roy Dennison's depression.
Now, I say we should
push ahead with speed.
I believe that Roy Dennison and Jacobi
were murdered.
Dennison spelled it out in his note.
He'd had surgery recently.
He was already depressed.
The doctor said
that he was tied together pretty well.
Come on, Kojak.
Be honest with us.
I mean, do you have
one solid piece of evidence...
to link either of these unfortunate deaths
to the Audubon Gardens?
We have a number of leads
that we're following through on.
For how long?
Weeks? Months? Years?
For as long as it takes.
Lieutenant, I don't want
to stop the investigation.
I want to spend
hundreds of millions of dollars
on this city's future.
Now, Assemblyman Murchison,
could I ask if you feel
that the rezoning of the acreage
in any way impedes...
the law enforcement functions
of this city...
or subverts
the interests of the taxpayers?
No, not from anything
I've personally ascertained.
Thank you.
Mr. Baker?
You are the senior member
of this commission,
its chairman.
I would appreciate
your opinion, guidance.
I have looked over the...
redrawn prospectus...
and I see no reason
why we cannot...
settle the matter.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Kojak,
you wanted to see me
about something?
Yes. I wanted to know
why you decided to change your vote.
Whew.
I need a drink.
Mr. Marchette phoned.
Yeah? What did he wa...
Jeri.
All I ever asked for was the truth.
That's the only thing you ever offered,
but it was the one thing I thought I had.
Jeri, this is rather a public place.
Do you prefer an elevator?
They said they'd kill his grandchildren.
Was that your idea?
A-After I gave you his name?
After you passed it along, did you suggest...
I don't think
you realize what happened.
What happened was, he was crying.
When... When he changed his mind,
changed his vote,
I waited around to find out why.
When he told me,
told me what had happened,
he was crying.
Crying... because
he'd been afraid to fight you.
Crying because he knows
he'll always be afraid to fight you...
and the dirty bunch of thugs
you work for.
Turner.
Mr. M.
I'll, uh... I'll take it at the bar.
Give me the phone, please.
Yes, sir.
Farrow.
Listen, what have you told
that assemblyman about the setup?
Uh, nothing.
Nor has he asked me. Why?
Well, we're suddenly getting all kinds
of calls and pressures from New England,
Washington, the I.R.S., the F.B.I.
They're taking a big interest
in who worked for who,
who you worked with
and what ties there might still be
between all of you.
Based on what?
Based on what?
Based on communications
between Lieutenant Kojak
and those agencies in the last 24 hours.
How can you know all that?
Listen, if we can buy people
in 50 states, we can buy people
in the District of Columbia.
You think there's a chance
Murchison's playing both sides
against the middle?
No.
No, no, I'm... I'm... I'm sure.
I mean, uh, why should he?
Well, buster, we're in the toilet.
Now I have to go to my people in Vegas
and tell 'em we'll fix the situation.
Listen, when you come right down to it,
that situation's a cop... a cop named Kojak.
No.
Well, think about it.
If Murchison is working with him,
say on a secret
grand jury probe or something,
odds are they've been
keeping it between themselves.
You understand?
Now, we eliminate Kojak,
and you'll have enough on Murchison
that he'll belong to us forever.
I won't go along with it.
Who do you think the people in Vegas
first suggested getting rid of? Huh?
Yeah.
You think about that too.
Now, we'll work it right.
Look, here's what you do.
You call Kojak, see.
You tell him you've done some thinking
and you wanna talk to him privately.
That's all I have to do,
just, uh, set it up?
No, that's not all you have to do!
You gotta be there
when he shows!
Be there when they kill him?
If it bothers you that much,
don't watch.
Jeri...
You'd better go after her.
N-No.
No, there's something
I have to do first.
Later. I'll explain later.
Nothing to do with Audubon Gardens.
Just some things
that have growth possibilities.
My broker will call you when they're in.
What about Baker?
You owe him
a great deal more.
In a way, we gave him
a great deal more.
You mean that's not enough?
After Farrow admitted...
Admitted what?
That he gave Baker something?
- It could've been
two tickets to the Garden, leprosy... -
- But you got Baker's testimony.
That two gorillas
accosted him in an elevator.
- What about the bribe?
- Did he say it was a bribe?
Theo... Excuse me.
If you're not too busy...
Paul, we're going
to have to stop meeting like this.
Tell me about it.
Tell me about it.
Lieutenant Kojak.
This is Whitney Farrow, Lieutenant.
Would it be possible
for you to meet me? I, uh...
l-I have something urgent
to discuss with you.
- Sure. We never close.
- No, l... I can't come there.
It has to be
someplace private, secluded.
All right.
You know that India Street pier?
O-On the Brooklyn side?
Yes, uh, I know the location.
- In a half hour, then?
- Sure.
Could you give me a description
of the car you'll be using?
1972 dark blue Continental.
Okay, Mr. Farrow, I'll see you.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Okay.
We're meeting in Brooklyn.
All right,
enough is enough, huh?
Relax, will ya.
There, that's got it.
Theo, maybe you should
take some troops.
Could be a setup.
"Take some troops, Theo.
Could be a setup."
Do I look like a hero?
You know what happens
if I turn up with anybody?
You know what I get from Farrow? Zilch.
Name, rank, serial number.
- And if you come alone?
- Yeah, well, he may unload.
Happy holidays.
Bobby.
Wanna take a nice ride
in the country?
Come on.
Hey, Weaver.
It's Farrow.
You know who's his own man?
Hmm? Nobody.
Now, let's face it...
who wants to be a nobody?
And I love you.
Amended sentence.
As much as
you can love anybody.
Who do you think the people in Vegas
first suggested getting rid of? Huh?
All I ever asked for was the truth.
If it bothers you that much,
don't watch.
What happened was, he was crying.
That's him.
Stop!
Stop!
Let's get outta here.
- Farrow's had it.
- Look out! He's coming back!
Aah!
Hey! Help! I can't swim!
- Okay, sweetheart.
Take me to your leader.
- No way!
All right.
Stay a mermaid.
You all right?
What do you mean,
am I all right?
I don't remember
requesting any interference.
We were just cruising.
This is total coincidence.
Yeah, sure.
Tell me about it.
There's some debris
floating in the river.
Would you fish it out
before it pollutes
the entire Eastern Seaboard.
You wanna do me a favor?
Yeah.
Call Forensics, the medical examiner.
Get 'em down here, do the whole number.
Is there something coming down
that I don't know about?
Yeah. The mermaid.
I'm gonna fish him out
for a singing lesson.
Funny thing.
I wonder why he did it.
Did what?
He tried to warn me.
He probably saved my life.
---
Here he comes.
That oughta do it.
Okay.
Hold it.
His glasses.
Ready?
Wait a minute.
Down to six seconds.
We're down to five, four.
Did you say New York
by 14, Fowler?
Yeah?
Looks like you'll pick up
the turkey tab again.
Over to Frazier!
Let him block!
Come on!
Some guy from Traffic
wants to know if you know
a StanleyJacobi.
Yeah?
We got the body out of the car.
They're bringing it up now.
We found his I.D.
And your card, Lieutenant.
How did it happen?
Looks like
he fell asleep.
Fell asleep?
After making that curve?
I've seen 'em nod
in the middle of a drag race.
Who all has been notified?
We reached his boss, a Roy Dennison,
in the bar at the St. Andrew.
Deputy Coroner Feingold,
uh, was notified...
and will meet the attendant
at the city morgue.
Stavros.
Get on the horn.
Notify Feingold's office
that I want that autopsy report
as soon as it's completed.
- I want to be the first man
in this borough to take a look at it.
- Okay, Lieutenant.
Assembly Paul Murchison.
Go right on in,
Mr. Assemblyman.
Been holding this booze
for an hour and a half.
I'm sorry, Whit.
There was a very ugly bill in Albany.
I just had to go against it.
Margie. Sid.
Mmm.
Who is that,
and why don't I know?
Jeri Devereaux.
She's executive secretary
to the zoning commission.
That's the secretary?
Mmm.
All the members
of the zoning commission
were invited.
Isn't that Baker,
the commission chairman?
Mm-hmm.
Thought he never went out.
He does when you've just made
a $5,000 donation
to his wife's favorite charity.
I see.
Excuse me.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Ladies and gentlemen!
The commercial!
Would you all
please sit down.
Thank you.
I don't know most of you,
except by reputation.
To be official,
I'm Whitney Farrow.
I build things.
In the last six years...
I've built four stadiums...
uh, stadia, I guess...
a retirement community,
state exposition and several dozen
shopping complexes.
It's, uh...
It's been interesting, people.
It's been what
I wanted my life to be.
And the nicest thing of all
is that looking back...
I can honestly say that I've never
once sold a customer something
that he really didn't want or need.
That's been
my guiding principle...
never to move into a city
and tell the leaders of the community
what they need,
but to ask.
Ask... Ask if they'd like
what I'm presenting to them,
as I'm asking you tonight,
ladies and gentlemen,
members of the zoning commission.
And, uh, if you say no, well,
I'll just fold up my specs
and move on.
At the moment
it's called Audubon Gardens.
That's also subject to change.
I'll shut up till the light show is over.
That's great!
Good evening.
Do you have an invitation?
Oh! Fat Feeney.
You lost a lot of weight.
Why don't you
send yourself up, Kojak?
You could use
a Sing Sing slimming.
You're gonna
get five more years for that.
Hey, look, you got an assemblyman
in there by the name of Murchison
watching those blue films?
Tell him there's a cop out here
gonna give him a ticket for peeking
at these porno pictures.
Go ahead.
Which way are we looking now?
Oh, uh... Oh, we're looking across,
uh, east of 17 th Street.
The frontage
is about one third of a mile.
Couldn't this wait
until morning?
A man is dead, counselor.
Ayoung man working undercover.
Name is StanleyJacobi.
That ring a bell?
No.
Working undercover on what?
Well, you know, a raider. Young lawyer.
Citizen's committee, searching for the truth.
A dreamer,
if you know what I mean.
That's it.
If you think it's right for New York,
I'm in the phone book. Thank you.
Let's hear your whole theory,
Lieutenant.
A whole lot of bricks and steel
and wood and plastic
goes into a deal this size.
You know, a five percent kickback
on light bulbs alone...
is enough to send a guy
to Tahiti for life.
Lieutenant,
the state and the government
have adequate safeguards...
to see that their share of the investment
is dispersed with no suspicion
of graft or skimming.
What are you trying to do, counselor,
buy my vote?
Don't you think I know
what goes into a deal like this?
A Niagara of money
goes into a project this size.
Everybody's got his little cup out looking
to catch a couple of drops for himself.
But somebody put out a barrel,
and StanleyJacobi found out about it.
I want you
to postpone this meeting.
I wanna get the guy
who shoved Jacobi off that highway,
because he doesn't belong in this deal...
he belongs in a cage.
I doubt if we're contemplating
making any deals
with known murderers, Lieutenant.
This is an urgent plan
for a disadvantaged part of the city...
proposed by
the most reputable of developers.
I do not intend to delay it
because you have some sort of hunch
about a highway accident.
In other words, buzz off.
Power to the people.
Right, Mr. Assemblyman?
Ciao, baby.
What was that all about?
A detective lieutenant
bucking for captain's bars.
He won't be back.
Oh?
I seem to remember somebody
saying that about Napoleon.
I wasn't expecting you, Whit.
I had to take Admiral Rawlins
back to his hotel.
Good party, huh?
Discounting the conspicuousness
of Mrs. Farrow's absence.
Oh, uh, a sudden attack
of the vapors.
Oh.
Discussing your wife with your mistress
is a foolish charade, huh?
And I love you.
Amended sentence.
As much as you can love anybody.
Before I forget,
if the commission approves rezoning,
rumor has it there'll be 50 million
available in public funds.
Fantastic!
We could push
the whole thing through.
No compromises,
no cutting corners,
no worrying
about nickels and dimes.
I thought you'd be pleased.
Hey.
Does it bother you so much
to please me?
Not if you don't lie to me.
I don't have a lot of hopes
and dreams about us.
But I appreciate the truth.
I need it...
Whit.
Uh, first let's see the tin.
Oh, yeah.
Oh. My hero.
You oughta spring for
a new holster, sonny boy.
That torpedo there's
bendin' your suit.
Come on. Follow me.
Uh-huh.
StanleyJacobi worked for you,
Mr. Dennison?
Wait a minute.
What are you talking about
this time of night?
He had an accident.
I've already been informed.
It's terrible.
Now, unless there's something
really urgent...
You carry about five or ten thousand
in cash on you, right?
I never carry any cash.
Why?
Well, those, uh,
those two meatballs out there.
You know exactly
what I do, Lieutenant.
When Whit Farrow builds something,
I'm the one who lets out the bids.
I hire the subcontractors.
I make the best deal I can
on everything from concrete
to grass seed.
Oh, I see. You're the one
who makes sure nobody steals
a couple of bricks, a bag of sand.
Right?
Exactly.
You still didn't answer my question.
How about those two
spicy meatballs out there?
Well, people try to buy me.
They pressure me at times.
I could make a businessman rich
with a phone call.
Uh-huh. How aboutJacobi?
What can you do for him
with a phone call?
You mean hurt him?
Why would I want to do that?
He was a bright, young lawyer.
He came up with a lot of new,
clever tax gimmicks.
And he was clever enough
to find his way
into your private books.
He discovered you had
a couple million dollars' worth
of sandbags...
in your private
Swiss bank account... Hey!
Those are public funds.
You can get into a lot of trouble
and be sent up for a long time
skimming off the top.
- What do you think you're talking about?
- "What do you think you're talking about?"
What do I think I'm talking about?
I'm talking about murder, dummy.
If you didn't have that badge, I'd...
What badge?
Don't let the posse turn you off.
He was a nice guy.
He had guts.
He had something
you know nothing about... morality.
I don't have to listen...
Hey.
You're not gonna get away with this.
Not with murder you're not.
Yeah?
Uh, that's interesting.
Sure. Sure, thanks.
I'll talk to you later.
That was my attorney,
Lieutenant.
You'd better get back
to the station house.
They'll be bringing you in
an autopsy report.
Poor Stanley.
Must've been driving too fast.
Accidental death
due to a highway mishap.
Check the coroner's office?
Yeah.
Well, give, already!
How do they explain leaking Jacobi's
autopsy report to Dennison's lawyer?
It wasn't leaked.
It was subpoenaed by the office
of Assemblyman Paul Murchison.
Oh, that's cute.
Assemblyman Paul Murchison.
That way he's gotta roust
the judge out of bed, right?
Right.
Very, very cute.
Hello there.
- This is from the road, right?
And this from the car?
- Yes, sir. Right.
All right, get on the horn.
You tell McNeil's office
that I want to book a guest shot
before the zoning commission.
Here. Find out whereJacobi
had his glasses made.
And see this here?
Check it out thoroughly.
Maybe there's a chance
it might be prescription glass.
Right.
Don't you think I'm brilliant?
Sure.
Sure.
Now, this first line shows
the trajectory of a vehicle...
going off the highway...
at approximately 55 miles an hour.
Now, even allowing for
the lessening of speed
going through this guard rail,
the vehicle
would have landed here.
Now, early this morning...
I had StanleyJacobi's car
brought back up the road.
I had them start the engine,
and I had them put it into drive.
From a standing start,
his vehicle landed here,
exactly where it was found
at 9.55 last night
when the traffic officers spotted it.
You're saying that you believe
thatJacobi was stopped on the parkway...
Rendered unconscious
and then shoved off the road
to make it look like an accident.
I'm sure we're all impressed
with the, uh, zeal...
you bring to your job, Lieutenant,
but I, for one, am still uncertain
as to why you've asked to testify here.
This is a zoning commission hearing,
not a coroner's inquest.
I've asked to testify,
Assemblyman,
for the same reason
I tried to spell it out to you last night.
Now, you've been asked to approve
a 350-acre project.
Let me tell you this.
When the ball starts rolling
on Audubon Gardens,
there's gonna be so much money
kicking around that you're
not gonna be able to stop it.
And why should they?
Well, because in a few months
it won't be known as Audubon Gardens,
but as Kickback City.
Wait.
Wait just a minute, Kojak.
This is my project.
What are you accusing me of?
I'm not accusing you
of anything, sir.
Roy Dennison.
I believe StanleyJacobi was about
to find out something about him.
Dennison?
No. I don't believe it.
I don't believe
you have a thing on him.
What would you recommend
the zoning commission do, Lieutenant?
I respectfully recommend, sir,
that no decision be made today.
Not at least until our investigation
has been concluded.
Well, since it can only vindicate Roy,
that's a suggestion
I'll reluctantly endorse,
Chairman Baker.
If there are no dissenting opinions,
this hearing stands adjourned...
until such time as the directors
of the Audubon project
request a further review.
I think, Lieutenant, you may find
you've overreached yourself.
Oh. My slip is showing.
You've been meddling
in areas which, even by the most
liberal interpretation of your duties,
are none of your business.
So you're telling me
to shut up and sit down.
Since candor is to be the currency
of this conversation, yes.
That would be
my considered recommendation.
Candor. So we're into candor now.
Right, Assemblyman?
Well, since you gave me your candid opinion,
let me give you mine.
Stick with the small boys, sonny.
You're in a heavyweight division.
I see.
How does Staten Island
strike you, Lieutenant?
Or would you prefer to while away
your twilight years...
in Jackson Heights?
Well, since you're
passing out choices, counselor,
why don't you make it Sing Sing?
Just dump me there.
But I'll tell you something...
I'll be waiting for you with a welcome wagon
when your pie wagon arrives.
You're all death wish,
aren't you, Kojak?
No, all nose.
Maybe I can understand
your subpoenaing the autopsy report.
Maybe even justifying
your interest in it.
But one thing I can't stand,
and that's the stink of
your leaking it to Dennison's lawyer.
Make some friends, Kojak.
Make lots of friends.
You're going to need them.
Tell me about it, sweetheart.
Well, we've just lost
another one of our backers.
Twelve million dollars' worth.
United Insurance
decided to pull out.
The delay, it started
to make 'em twitchy.
Have the check drawn.
Bring it to me for signature,
and deliver it to United
at the close of the business day.
Farrow Construction.
Yes.
Mr. Marchette.
Victor.
Word's around
your passengers are jumping ship.
So tell me, skipper,
how come I'm not worrying, huh?
Tell me.
Why shouldn't I raise a sweat? Why?
Well, because
there's nothing to worry about.
Oh, you say.
What if it was your money?
Well, then it wouldn't matter,
would it?
I'd be my own man, Marchette,
not yours.
No way.
You know who's his own man?
Hmm? Nobody.
Now, let's face it...
who wants to be a nobody?
Ever since Watergate,
I stay on the phone too long
I get hives.
We need to meet,
eyeball to eyeball.
Lieutenant, this guy
who worked for Farrow...
Dennison?
Mm-hmm.
What about him?
Just killed himself.
Bottle of barbiturates.
Hey, look, if you gotta go
it beats a cement kimono.
He leave a note?
Yeah.
I see. Short and sweet.
Written with a cannon
under his nose.
You're saying this wasn't suicide?
Come on. Are you kidding?
It's got mob written all over it.
This guy wasn't depressed.
Last time I was here,
he had a couple of house pets.
You round them up,
you can put this in the "out" basket.
Then we gotta find out
who's giving them orders.
Theo.
May I see you a minute?
Yeah.
So I won't bother asking...
Do you know how much trouble
that kind of loose mouth can get you into?
Or how much trouble
it can cause the department?
You're talking about
Assembly Paul Murchison, right?
You're damn right I am.
Where do you get
the 14-karat chutzpah
to talk to an elected official like that,
and in front of a dozen witnesses?
Hey, look, Mac, uh,
I'm into something.
Oh, you're onto something?
You'll be on to men's ready-wear
if Murchison has his way.
What kind of an answer is that?
"Hey, Mac, I'm onto something."
I can't explain now.
Not yet. Not now.
That's beautiful.
That is... That is arrogance.
You can't explain?
All of a sudden you've opened up
your own police department?
What am I supposed to do,
take the family to Lake Placid?
No, Mac.
You're supposed to trust me.
Roy Dennison is dead!
He was my closest associate.
So what?
You're clean.
And Kojak's out of suspects
for theJacobi bump.
Roy and I
worked together for years.
Yeah, well, we're
working together now.
Your friend Roy got a little sloppy,
and I had to clean up the mess.
You oughta be thanking me.
Nobody's got anything on you.
But more important than that,
these investors pulling out,
now, that could hurt us.
But murder won't?
Kojak didn't leaveJacobi's death an accident.
Do you think he's gonna
leave Dennison's a suicide?
Oh, come on, come on.
He's gotta bury both of them
sooner or later.
I need money! I have to look
as solid on paper as Fort Knox!
I have to be beyond reproach, suspicion.
You asked for 50 million.
We gave it to you.
You said you could get backers
for the rest of it.
Now, if you needed more
you should've said so going in.
Tell me something.
How does a smart operator like you
get in a hole like this?
One does get into
legitimate problems.
Short money for loans, taxes, or...
You wouldn't know about taxes,
would you?
No, I wouldn't know about taxes.
Not at all.
Hey.
You came to the organization.
You sold us condominiums,
marinas, shopping centers,
a hundred different businesses.
You put it all in our hands,
all at one time.
And all you and your pal Dennison,
what did you want?
To skim a bundle
off the contracts.
U-Uh, l-I'll still deliver.
L-I need money. I need more money!
Money. What do you know
about money, huh?
You little snot-nose.
What do you know about money?
You know what I did for money
when I was your age? Huh?
Well, I'll tell you.
First I got a rock, then a shiv,
and when I could afford it,
I got a cannon.
I was on top of the world.
I couldn't do anything wrong.
So what are you cryin' about, huh?
We gave you millions!
What did you give us?
Just a front
with your Harvard business degree.
You'd better deliver.
You understand?
Do you understand me?
Photo of a fragment of glass
found on the shoulder of the road.
Here's a specimen of glass
found in a Chicago optometrist's file.
Glasses made forJacobi
three years ago, when he was
just getting out of law school.
Then there's no doubt
in the world.
Whoever brokeJacobi's glasses
did it on the parkway.
So it was murder.
Always a thrill.
Okay,
how's it going for you?
Oh, I'm in like Flynn.
That little scene
outside the commission office
earned me nothing but brownie points.
Well, let's hope so.
I been gettin' nothin' but static
from my division commander.
Had to make it look good, didn't I?
Yeah.
Sometimes you wonder
who's doing what to who and for what.
A couple of staged arguments
is one thing.
Even leaking that autopsy report
to one of Dennison's stooges.
But supposing they get down
to offering "X" number of dollars...
to buy me, my office
and the clout that goes with it?
What are we gonna do
about that one?
Not even the grand jury
knows we're working together on this.
If something happened to you
and some of this stuff came out,
how the hell would I ever
convince anybody I was only pretending
to go onto the syndicate's payroll?
What do you want me to tell you?
For your sake, Assemblyman,
you'd better hope I stay healthy.
Come on.
I'll buy you a popcorn.
So you still don't know
who his angel is, huh?
No. If Farrow's in bed with
the wise guys, you couldn't prove it
by anything he's said so far.
Well, maybe by something he does.
Look, he's in a lot of trouble.
Right?
A lot of these heavy investors
have started to pull out.
If we can delay
that commission ruling
for just a little while,
there's gonna be
a regular stampede.
He's gonna be forced
to go to the moustache boys
for additional financing.
I'm not so sure he'll get them.
I made a remark earlier
to the effect that he'd have to
shake his money tree again.
He said,
"The money tree is white birch.
It doesn't transplant well."
"White birch"?
What does that make you think of?
New England.
Massachusetts. Connecticut.
Farrow was operating
in New England...
as an overseas investment consultant
for several banks.
That was in 1966,
before he went into
the real estate business.
Yeah, you know, a lot of these
moustache boys are known for
stashing their dough in Switzerland,
for getting into
this foreign investment.
Maybe this is where Farrow
came in contact with them.
I'll get on him in the morning.
All I need is an ax.
An ax?
I can't tell a lie.
I'm gonna chop down the money tree.
Listen, has it occurred to you,
if I'm right...
if his backers
won't ante up any more cash...
then Farrow has to find a way
to pressure the commission into
handing out a favorable ruling now?
Mm-hmm. Excuse me.
This crossed my mind, counselor.
How's he gonna do it?
I mean, what's his handle?
I understand
there was a brief meeting
of the zoning commission this afternoon...
with Lieutenant Kojak present.
Do you know the difference between
sworn personnel and ordinary employees?
I don't see what that has to do with...
Sworn personnel raise their right hand
and swear a kind of allegiance to their duties.
The idea is
that people can trust them.
I hardly ever have a conversation with you
in which I don't violate that oath at least once.
I am touched.
I hadn't seen myself
as the subverter of...
Don't make fun of me.
I just mentioned it in passing.
Yes, there was
a brief meeting this afternoon.
Kojak reviewed Dennison's records.
He said he doubts the suicide
was a suicide.
That's all he had?
That's all specifically.
Is there so much more
for him to find out?
Look,
Jeri,
I hadn't even heard ofJacobi
before he went off that highway.
Dennison hired him
for personal business.
You know how close I was with Roy.
Then what are you afraid of?
Failure?
You said yourself at the party,
if they rejected your proposal
you'd throw in...
I know what I said!
Honey, it's not that simple.
I have partners.
Partners?
You know that bright
and shining future I promised us?
If this thing falls through,
we'll be lucky if we can swap it
for a tin cup and a fistful of pencils.
Darling, I'm... I'm sorry.
I hadn't realized...
Suppose, uh...
Suppose I asked the board
to reconvene tomorrow afternoon.
How would the vote go now?
Most of them
are still favorable to you.
Most? Who's against me?
Whit, you're asking me
to violate an oath.
I need the name, love.
I need it now.
Funniest thing. You see,
he had these two grandchildren.
The youngest boy was,
oh, about seven.
The oldest one nine.
They both went to
a very nice private school.
Beckley is the name.
The oldest kid,
his nickname was Spud.
He pitched a three-hitter
in a school game
a couple of months ago.
Whatever happened to him?
Nobody knows.
They just disappeared.
Every day at 3:20,
the bus would pick 'em up...
at the intersection
of Fourth and Willets,
and one day...
They were gone.
- Just a second.
- The youngest kid was nicknamed Champ.
Just a second!
Those are my grandchildren
you're talking about!
The grandfather
could have prevented it, of course,
if he hadn't been so stubborn.
Now, wait. Wait!
Good morning, Mr. Baker.
Anything wrong?
No. Oh, no, no.
There's nothing wrong,
Miss Devereaux.
In May of 1966,
Farrow wasn't even in real estate.
He was district loan officer
for all the Connecticut branches of
the First New England Merchant's Bank.
Are you ready?
Monroe Tool and Dye
was into the bank heavy
when it went bankrupt.
And Roy Dennison?
Chief accountant for Monroe.
How's that?
Well, that's when they met.
Well, I think Dennison
embezzled Monroe for a bundle.
Farrow found out about it,
covered it up.
They didn't just meet.
Baby, they went to bed together.
That's when Farrow Development
got started.
Dennison played with the books,
but it was Farrow
with his Ivy League look...
He's the one
who put it all together.
Audubon Gardens was a project so big
that they could steal a fortune from it
without getting caught.
What about the mob?
Any angle there?
Who knows? Maybe Farrow
made a syndicate contact way back
when he was an officer with the bank.
You know?
Capital to start his business?
Or Dennison,
maybe he was playing around
on the inside with the mob.
Lieutenant!
Line two!
I told you not to interrupt me
unless it was important. Is it a broad?
Someone who says
he shared a bag of popcorn
with you.
You got a secret life going, Theo?
Oh, yeah, tell me about it.
Hello?
We were wondering what Farrow
was gonna use for a handle.
I still don't have the answer,
but he must have found one.
He's asked for an immediate rehearing
before the commission.
I am asking, in effect,
for a vote of confidence...
in our city, in ourselves.
Now, there have been several...
Startling, rather tragic events
in the past few hours,
and there are rumors
and some serious misgivings
to investors in the Audubon...
I heard there were
more than misgivings.
Yes. The redrawn prospectus
eliminates three former sponsors.
It is precisely to avoid
losing these investors that I come
before the committee this morning.
Frankly, I think this whole delay...
contributed to
Roy Dennison's depression.
Now, I say we should
push ahead with speed.
I believe that Roy Dennison and Jacobi
were murdered.
Dennison spelled it out in his note.
He'd had surgery recently.
He was already depressed.
The doctor said
that he was tied together pretty well.
Come on, Kojak.
Be honest with us.
I mean, do you have
one solid piece of evidence...
to link either of these unfortunate deaths
to the Audubon Gardens?
We have a number of leads
that we're following through on.
For how long?
Weeks? Months? Years?
For as long as it takes.
Lieutenant, I don't want
to stop the investigation.
I want to spend
hundreds of millions of dollars
on this city's future.
Now, Assemblyman Murchison,
could I ask if you feel
that the rezoning of the acreage
in any way impedes...
the law enforcement functions
of this city...
or subverts
the interests of the taxpayers?
No, not from anything
I've personally ascertained.
Thank you.
Mr. Baker?
You are the senior member
of this commission,
its chairman.
I would appreciate
your opinion, guidance.
I have looked over the...
redrawn prospectus...
and I see no reason
why we cannot...
settle the matter.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Kojak,
you wanted to see me
about something?
Yes. I wanted to know
why you decided to change your vote.
Whew.
I need a drink.
Mr. Marchette phoned.
Yeah? What did he wa...
Jeri.
All I ever asked for was the truth.
That's the only thing you ever offered,
but it was the one thing I thought I had.
Jeri, this is rather a public place.
Do you prefer an elevator?
They said they'd kill his grandchildren.
Was that your idea?
A-After I gave you his name?
After you passed it along, did you suggest...
I don't think
you realize what happened.
What happened was, he was crying.
When... When he changed his mind,
changed his vote,
I waited around to find out why.
When he told me,
told me what had happened,
he was crying.
Crying... because
he'd been afraid to fight you.
Crying because he knows
he'll always be afraid to fight you...
and the dirty bunch of thugs
you work for.
Turner.
Mr. M.
I'll, uh... I'll take it at the bar.
Give me the phone, please.
Yes, sir.
Farrow.
Listen, what have you told
that assemblyman about the setup?
Uh, nothing.
Nor has he asked me. Why?
Well, we're suddenly getting all kinds
of calls and pressures from New England,
Washington, the I.R.S., the F.B.I.
They're taking a big interest
in who worked for who,
who you worked with
and what ties there might still be
between all of you.
Based on what?
Based on what?
Based on communications
between Lieutenant Kojak
and those agencies in the last 24 hours.
How can you know all that?
Listen, if we can buy people
in 50 states, we can buy people
in the District of Columbia.
You think there's a chance
Murchison's playing both sides
against the middle?
No.
No, no, I'm... I'm... I'm sure.
I mean, uh, why should he?
Well, buster, we're in the toilet.
Now I have to go to my people in Vegas
and tell 'em we'll fix the situation.
Listen, when you come right down to it,
that situation's a cop... a cop named Kojak.
No.
Well, think about it.
If Murchison is working with him,
say on a secret
grand jury probe or something,
odds are they've been
keeping it between themselves.
You understand?
Now, we eliminate Kojak,
and you'll have enough on Murchison
that he'll belong to us forever.
I won't go along with it.
Who do you think the people in Vegas
first suggested getting rid of? Huh?
Yeah.
You think about that too.
Now, we'll work it right.
Look, here's what you do.
You call Kojak, see.
You tell him you've done some thinking
and you wanna talk to him privately.
That's all I have to do,
just, uh, set it up?
No, that's not all you have to do!
You gotta be there
when he shows!
Be there when they kill him?
If it bothers you that much,
don't watch.
Jeri...
You'd better go after her.
N-No.
No, there's something
I have to do first.
Later. I'll explain later.
Nothing to do with Audubon Gardens.
Just some things
that have growth possibilities.
My broker will call you when they're in.
What about Baker?
You owe him
a great deal more.
In a way, we gave him
a great deal more.
You mean that's not enough?
After Farrow admitted...
Admitted what?
That he gave Baker something?
- It could've been
two tickets to the Garden, leprosy... -
- But you got Baker's testimony.
That two gorillas
accosted him in an elevator.
- What about the bribe?
- Did he say it was a bribe?
Theo... Excuse me.
If you're not too busy...
Paul, we're going
to have to stop meeting like this.
Tell me about it.
Tell me about it.
Lieutenant Kojak.
This is Whitney Farrow, Lieutenant.
Would it be possible
for you to meet me? I, uh...
l-I have something urgent
to discuss with you.
- Sure. We never close.
- No, l... I can't come there.
It has to be
someplace private, secluded.
All right.
You know that India Street pier?
O-On the Brooklyn side?
Yes, uh, I know the location.
- In a half hour, then?
- Sure.
Could you give me a description
of the car you'll be using?
1972 dark blue Continental.
Okay, Mr. Farrow, I'll see you.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Okay.
We're meeting in Brooklyn.
All right,
enough is enough, huh?
Relax, will ya.
There, that's got it.
Theo, maybe you should
take some troops.
Could be a setup.
"Take some troops, Theo.
Could be a setup."
Do I look like a hero?
You know what happens
if I turn up with anybody?
You know what I get from Farrow? Zilch.
Name, rank, serial number.
- And if you come alone?
- Yeah, well, he may unload.
Happy holidays.
Bobby.
Wanna take a nice ride
in the country?
Come on.
Hey, Weaver.
It's Farrow.
You know who's his own man?
Hmm? Nobody.
Now, let's face it...
who wants to be a nobody?
And I love you.
Amended sentence.
As much as
you can love anybody.
Who do you think the people in Vegas
first suggested getting rid of? Huh?
All I ever asked for was the truth.
If it bothers you that much,
don't watch.
What happened was, he was crying.
That's him.
Stop!
Stop!
Let's get outta here.
- Farrow's had it.
- Look out! He's coming back!
Aah!
Hey! Help! I can't swim!
- Okay, sweetheart.
Take me to your leader.
- No way!
All right.
Stay a mermaid.
You all right?
What do you mean,
am I all right?
I don't remember
requesting any interference.
We were just cruising.
This is total coincidence.
Yeah, sure.
Tell me about it.
There's some debris
floating in the river.
Would you fish it out
before it pollutes
the entire Eastern Seaboard.
You wanna do me a favor?
Yeah.
Call Forensics, the medical examiner.
Get 'em down here, do the whole number.
Is there something coming down
that I don't know about?
Yeah. The mermaid.
I'm gonna fish him out
for a singing lesson.
Funny thing.
I wonder why he did it.
Did what?
He tried to warn me.
He probably saved my life.