Kojak (1973–1978): Season 4, Episode 3 - Law Dance - full transcript

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Hey, Kojak!

You're gonna help an old lady.

Hello, Mae. How's the
lady with the scales doing?

Are they balanced?

Oh, he's stuck his finger right in his eye.

The baby.

Old cautious is on the bench.

You know what?

He'll spend all morning
instructing the jury,

the lawyers, the janitor.

You know, he is so
scared of getting overturned.



He's gonna write the
transcript to his own hands.

Hey, hold that.

Will you hold it, please?

This case, Theo, it ain't as easy as it looks, you know?

Them murder's happened four years ago.

Yeah.

The accused's got a sharp lawyer,

but memories is fuzzy, you know?

Witnesses, forget,
let me tell you, it's rough.

Yeah, where are they now?

Well, if you ask me, old
cautious is probably still

laying down the ground rules. Thanks.

Hey, Mae, this courthouse would collapse

without you here every day, you know that?



Ah, what's an old broad gonna do?

Catch a dirty movie, see a soap on TV?

Listen, this beats as the
world turns coming and going.

Well, that's a great color combination.

How'd you know I just bought a brown suit?

You want them?

Not for me. My feet keep asking.

When are we gonna get
another pair of socks from Mae?

Sure. Why, should you be different.

Everybody wants my
socks, judges, lawyers, cops.

You know what? They stop me in the hall.

They say, Mae, come on, Mae P-L-E-A-S-E,

But these socks, Theo, they is my muscle.

Of course, I let it known.

Not everybody's gonna get them.

Because, not everybody
deserves them, you see?

Now, for instance, you take this kid.

There's new assistant DA.

I'll take it from you now, thanks.

The one that's prosecuting your case, he...

He's a baby.

What was your position
in the police department

on the day in question?

I was a uniformed patrolman at the time,

and my beat included Vestry Street.

And that's where the
award diner was located.

Let it be recorded in the records that, uh,

the award diner is owned
by one Lionel Lessonbee.

Lionel Lessonbee.

The champion of justice.

Champion sucker, Maybe.

They don't give a damn about you.

Carol, I've got to testify today.

I saw three men get killed, shot down.

Now, what do I do? Ignore that?

Ignore the subpoena? Not get involved?

How can I do that and not feel corrupt

for the rest of my life?

Corrupt? You worry
about corrupt in this city?

Hey, take it easy, Carol.

You're beginning to
sound like a street sucker.

That's where I come
from, baby, and so do you.

Do you have to go out?

No, but Raymond is getting anxious.

You should have protection.

That man just spent four years in jail,

and when I testify
against him this afternoon,

he'll spend the rest of his life there.

Detective Crocker, we're waiting.

Yeah, I'm thinking.

I beg your pardon?

I'm thinking.

Okay, I realize it's four years ago.

Now, to the best of your recollection,

can you tell us what
occurred at the award diner

on that day?

I was standing across the street

when my attention was drawn
to the premises of the diner.

The blinds were down, and
there was a closed sign in the door.

What, was that unusual?

Yes, it was lunchtime, and
that's usually a busy hour for them.

I started across the street,

and I heard two gunshots
coming from the diner.

As I approached the door,
I heard another gunshot.

Now, I also heard screaming and shouting.

The door was locked, but I
could see just past the blind.

There were people standing
around with their hands raised,

and I could make out
three men laying on the floor

with what appeared to be blood on them.

Then I noticed a man
in a blue ski-type jacket

running towards the rear of the diner.

Why did you notice this particular man?

He had a gun in his hand.

Keeping an eye on me, Frank?

Mrs. Lessonbee called down.

She's a little nervous about
you going to court to testify today.

You know?

Yeah.

Good morning.

Just take me a sec to fix this thing.

What kind of dog is that?

It's an Australian silky.

Never-mind that dog.

Oh, he left a little
bit of silk right here.

What about the other people in the diner?

I told Mr. Lessonbee, the
owner, to call an ambulance

and then call the precinct.

That's when I drew my service
revolver and pursued the gunman.

Describe that please

Keep it honest.

Your boy's doing okay.

When I reached that point,

he was about a block
ahead of me and running.

I was able to close the gap a bit.

He turned east on Laight,
then north on Hudson.

He entered an apartment
building located 409 Hudson,

ran up the stairway and locked
himself in a fourth-floor apartment.

How far behind him were you at this time?

I was pretty close to him.

I was on the third-floor landing,

and I could see him
up through the stairwell.

When you reached the door?

I identified myself as a police
officer and demanded entry.

And?

And a shot came through the door.

Are you sure that you identified yourself

loudly enough to be
heard inside the apartment?

Yes, sir. I screamed it.

Hey, Lieutenant.

All right, I want Moscowitz, Prince,

the first cop on the scene.

In that order.

We got us a murder.

Lionel Lessonbee.

Oh, terrific.

Have somebody call the captain.

He'll have to tell the DA.

I take it he didn't die of natural causes.

No, I'm only guessing, but
I'd say that it was a knife.

A big one.

There's a large
wedge-shaped wound in the chest.

Went through a couple
of ribs on the way in.

Well, that'd take a strong man.

Let me know as soon as you're sure.

Anyway, you like dogs?

It was the victims, Lt.

Oh, great.

See if you can get a statement.

Find out how this
got sucker out of this basement.

You got it.

Could you describe how
the arrest took place?

I came through the door, and he
was trying to get out the window

and reload his gun at the same time.

We struggled, and I was able
to handcuff him to the radiator.

Detective Crocker,

I would like for you to
look around this courtroom

and tell us if you see the man you chased,

the man who fired a gun at you,

the man you finally subdued and captured.

Yeah, he's sitting right
there at the defense table

in the checkered shirt.

Let the record reflect that
the witness is indicating

the defendant one Burl Slote.

Now, after subduing the suspect,

what were your actions?

I read him his rights,

and I used this phone to call the precinct.

The only thing I didn't do was
give him a dime for the phone.

And I checked his apartment
for possible accomplices.

That's when I discovered that...

Objection!

Your Honor, this is inexcusable.

Prosecution is trying to sneak in testimony

that is clearly inadmissible.

There's been no ruling
on that in this court!

Not one more word.

Counsels, approach the bench.

He's not going to let
the jury hear this beef.

Now, you gentlemen
may make your objections,

but if there is anything further to add,

you will approach the bench.

I will tolerate no retorts
from either side in my court.

Now, I'm inclined to be sympathetic

to Mr. Kingsley's objection.

You are very close to
forbidden territory, Mr. Candoo.

Your Honor, this territory was questionable

but was not expressly forbidden.

My dear young colleague,

the defendant pled guilty
to murder four years ago.

Before I entered the case,

he was unaware that
his constitutional rights

had been violated.

may have been violated.

Well, the appellate
court felt strong enough

to allow him to change
his plea to not guilty.

Your Honor...
This trial is the result.

You have a small, small point, Mr. Candoo.

The testimony will be
previewed before I make a ruling.

Bailiff, remove the jury.

See?

From the blood stains and
the marks on the floor,

it looks like he was killed in the elevator

and dragged out here.

Also, somebody was fooling
around with the elevator button.

There's alligator clip marks inside.

You know, for a mugging,

somebody went to an awful lot of trouble.

Who said anything about a mugging?

Well, uh, the guy didn't have a wallet.

Oh, that's pure smoke, baby, pure smoke.

All right, first cop on the scene.

Yes, that's me, Lieutenant.

All right.

Who's police force?

I was safe and loft.

I moonlight here four hours a day.

Look, I don't know how this happened.

I went outside watching
this guy walk his dog.

He came back, got in the elevator.

20 minutes later, his wife
calls down looking for him.

No strangers in or out?

Not that I saw,

but I was on Third Avenue,

whistling cabs.

People with dogs usually
have a regular routine.

Yeah, Lessonbee did.

Same time, morning and nigh...

Oh, man.

Anybody watching him
could have figured that.

Okay, take it easy.

Nobody assigned you to personal protection,

but I'd like to know why
nobody was assigned.

It wasn't because they
weren't asked, Lieutenant.

In fact, they were begged.

I called the prosecutor's
office a dozen times.

Even got to talk to him once.

He said he'd look into it.

After that,

they were bored secretaries
who didn't want to know.

I called the police, too.

No men available.

30,000 cops.

What do they do?

Now who's gonna be your
star witness, Lieutenant?

Who's the next poor believing fool

to be conned into...

I checked the bathroom to
see if anyone was in there.

Then I went into the bedroom.

I saw pistol cartridges

scattered around on
the floor near the closet.

The door was closed,

and I thought there might
be somebody in there.

So I opened the door, looked inside, and...

Now, just stop
moment, Detective Crocker,

I'd like to remind the court

that you'd just seen a restaurant

full of panicked, frightened people,

three of them dead or dying.

You'd chased a man for five blocks

and been shot at,

had a violent struggle in subduing him,

but were still aware enough
of your duty as an officer

to inform him of his rights,

his constitutional rights.

Right. Yes, sir.

Thank you. What happened
when you opened the closet?

There was no one in there,

but I saw on the floor

a white paper bag similar to the one

the suspect was carrying during the chase.

I looked inside it and found

wallets and credit cards and cash

stuffed inside.

And what did these items prove to be?

The loot from the award dinner robbery.

Once again, what prompted you

to go into the bedroom
and open the closet door?

Safety of my own personal life.

Objection. Excuse me.

Objection.

Your Honor, there's no
reason that the officer

should suppose that there was

an accomplice lurking in a closet.

Sustained.

Your Honor, I think that the

actions of Detective Crocker

were not only proper but laudable,

and that the wallet and
other incriminating items

produced should be submitted as evidence.

Mr. Kingsley?

I have no questions at this time.

Despite the...

noble motives

the prosecution has tried to impart

the witness, it is patently

obvious that the apartment

was searched illegally.

There's numerous proceedings starting with

Knapp v. Ohio, Schimel v. California,

spelling it out, that an officer,

even in hot pursuit,

has no authority to conduct
more than an arms-length

search, and that only for

concealed weapons.

Anything else requires a duly issued

search warrant. Well, I see nothing

in what has been said
here to alter the ruling

of the appellate court.

This evidence is not admissible.

Mr. Candoo,

you will instruct your
witness that any mention of

the search or the so-called loot will not

be tolerated.

Bailiff, recall the jury.

Mr. Kingsley?

How long have you been on the force

before this all occurred?

Not long. I was just out of the police

academy about four weeks I think.

That inexperienced.

Have you ever been involved in any

How's it going Lt?

Eh, fun city Mae

This guy pull the wings off my man yet?

He's building up to it.

They just suppressed the
best part of your evidence.

The haul of the robbery.

Lessonbee was killed this morning.

Oh, no!

It was supposed to look like a muggy.

That blows the whole case.

Hey, I don't care how
you do it, but hang on.

I mean, we need the time.

Objection your Honor, that's entirely irrelevant.

Where are you going, Mr. Kingsley?

I'm just questioning the character of the

witness, Your Honor, trying to determine

if there are any motives beyond duty

urging him on.

Well, in view of the gravity of this
case, I will allow a certain leeway.

You may proceed, Mr. Kingsley,

with caution.

All right, I'll ask you again.

Would you say that you
are an ambitious man?

Not overly.

But you carry the

coveted gold shield of a detective?

Yes, I am a detective.

How long have you been one?

About four years?

Was your arrest of the defendant

the reason why you were promoted?

One of the reasons.

What was the defendant
wearing when you made the arrest?

A white sort of T-shirt.

I thought you said the man that
you chased from the restaurant

was wearing a blue ski jacket.

He was.

He got rid of it when he was running.

He threw it in the back of a passing truck.

Ah!

Hey, it was about four
years ago, all right?

I forgot.

Yes, of course. But the man

that you saw in the diner,

the one in the blue ski jacket, he was

running away from you.

Did you see his face?

No, I didn't. Not at that time, anyway.

How about the men in the street, the
one in the jacket, the one in the T-shirt?

How about their faces?

No, they had to turn.

They? Not they. It was the same man, him.

Be sure, Detective Crocker,
because this man's freedom is at stake.

You lost track of him,
didn't you, rounding corners?

He was a block ahead.

Only for a minute, it was the same man.

Was it? Or was it just the
hope of an excited young cop

running after his chance at a gold shield?

Objection! Sustained.

That's enough theater, Mr. Kingsley.

I apologize, Your Honor, but
there seems to be some doubt

that the man chased was not the man caught.

Isn't it?

Not in my mind, there isn't.

Well, how can you be so sure?

It happened so long ago.

Because he had the, uh...

He had the what?

Because I am, that's all.

That's all, Detective Crocker.

I think we've heard enough.

Must have had a real turkey
for a lawyer in the beginning.

Any half-witt could have argued
an illegal search at the time.

Au contraire, counselor, they
were saying it, or Slote was.

He knew we had enough
without the loot from the robbery

to put him on the moon.

So he played guilty on purpose?

It was the only chance
he had. Plead guilty,

go directly to jail, and don't pass go.

And the white hats, the good
guys, they pat each other on the back.

Stopped developing the
case, and forget him.

Right, excuse me. Four
years go by, things are cloudy.

Evidence is hard to find,
and the witnesses disappear.

Or get murdered.

I wish I knew then what I know now.

Oh, yeah, what would you
do now? Shoot him down?

Plant the evidence on him? I'd be tempted.

I'd get tempted too, kid,
every time one of those animals

loopholes himself out of trouble.

Because this broken down system that we got

is still better than some
tough cop handling a street court.

Look, Butler, I'm prosecuting this case.

Hi, Josh.

Be up in a minute, my phone's broken again.

Now, I don't care what the usual deal is.

You look awful.

Didn't it go well?

No, I...

I will not agree to negligent homicide.

This is the second wife he's killed.

Nancy Parks, Lieutenant
Kojak, Detective Crocker.

They beat her brains out too.

Enchantée, baby.

Welcome to the Nans.

Look, would you just tell your client

if he cops to B felony
manslaughter right now?

And no stalling.

No, he does not get time served.

All right, get back to me.

You buying me dinner?

You're buying me if I can eat.

Okay.

Yeah, listen, Fox.

Yeah, hold it, Theo. I'm not finished yet.

Maybe you're aren't, Captain,
but I'm cutting Slote loose.

We have no case.

No case? Slote killed three people
in front of 16 witnesses.

We know he killed at least
two more in other robberies.

His yellow sheet goes back to the time

he was 15 when he assaulted someone.

16 witnesses.

Four of them are dead.
That includes Lessonbee.

One of them is in her 90s.

One of them lives in an alcoholic ward.

Another one lives in a doorway.

One of them is in jail in Portugal yet.

There were three South Vietnamese sailors

and the other five people
have moved so many times

they're untraceable.

Well, you never told me
they were untraceable.

We got called in at the last minute

and we're the ones who
started the investigation.

Okay, okay, mistakes were made.

But if more witnesses could
be found, we don't have time.

The court won't grant another delay

and I need Candoo in other places.

Why, you falling behind
your plea bargaining?

Crocker.

He's right.

We make all kinds of
deals with all kinds of crud.

We have to.

We're looking at 1,700 murders this year.

We can't begin to handle last year's cases.

They're stacked up three
deep at Riker's right now.

I'm understaffed with under-experienced

kids who make less money than

apprentice garbage men.

I'm not telling you anything new.

Justice is out, movement is in.

And our employers, the
public, couldn't care less.

You're wrong, Fox.

They care.

Hey, when cops and prosecutors

and judges were
stomping on people's rights,

they wouldn't stand for it.

Now the public isn't safe

and they won't stand for that either.

But while we're waiting for the pendulum

to swing back and forth,

and back and forth,

we have to keep on keeping on, right?

We have to hang on to things like

oath of office,

personal integrity,

and don't look at the ceiling

as some kind of impractical jive.

We're supposed to be
public protectors, man.

And to me that means doing everything.

Everything.

Everything in our power to keep the citizen

butchers like Slote off the streets.

Caseloads and movements be damned.

Right on, Lieutenant.

Yeah.

Well, I haven't had

the civic flag out in a while.

Well, anybody that can shut
this asylum up for a minute

must be some sort of a miracle worker.

This case still stinks.

But I guess we can keep
at it until they throw it out.

Okay.

Let's go to work.

The award diner,

four years later, asphalt and parked cars.

So, we begin.

You were across the street.

You spotted the diner's blinds down

and the closed sign up.

When a good cop like you

comes on to things like that, then what?

Well, I started across the streets.

When I got about here,

that's when I heard the first two shots.

All right, what next? Do it.

I went up to the diner. I
went up to the window.

That's when I heard the screams.

What kind of screams? Red ones? Green ones?

Lady screams.

Okay.

I'm leaning on a counter. What do I see?

Lessonbee, his wife and
customers. What else?

Not his wife.

She said she was out of
her job when it happened.

They'd already started
their new catering business.

Oh, was she here? Wasn't she here?

Lieutenant, the Rockettes could have been

having lunch in there that day.

When I went after that
guy, I wasn't exactly

stopping to count noses.

Oh, what do you say, counselor?

Here, look around you.

The award diner.

Four years of progress.
No witnesses, no building,

no nothing. Nothing but complaints

against the police.

Here's the complete witness list,

names, addresses. Yeah? Any ladies on it?

Yeah, one.

Thalia Kajabes?

Greek lady. Customer or worker?

Customer. We already talked to her

Her family owns a sales shop.

Mrs. Kajabes is 90 years old,

speaks no English, doesn't
even know what time it is

We got nothing.

You mind if we try? What for?

Because there's no
such thing as a Greek lady

who doesn't know what time it is.

Hey, Crocker, when you
searched Slotes' place, were you

really worried he had an accomplice?

Hey, Lieutenant, I was so
scared that I thought he had

nine buddies hidden in
a closet with burp guns.

Hey Candoo.

Slote has no mob connections,
strictly an independent,

But somebody killed
Lessonbee for him,

and it takes a lot of bucks

to hire a lawyer like Kingsley.

So, he has an outside friend.

Well, I did hear he
drank a lot with some guy.

You think that might be
the guy who killed Lessonbee?

Couldn't be too many guys
that would drink with Slote.

Wait a minute. A dockworker.

I saved him from getting rolled one night.

He was bombed. He was laughing at how

young I was.

Jack Boston.

He told me to watch out for Slote and his

friend that they'd take my badge and shove

it in my ear. You start now?

You check the bars, check the unions,

and find Boston.

Hey, Burr,

if this here Lessonbee

is gone, the lord above

rest his soul.

I reckon they got no one to talk again, you know.

How'd he die, Mr. Kingsley?

Were it certain.

Yes. He was stabbed to death.

One of them muggers, I reckon.

Them kind can be plum mean.

The man's dead. You don't need to gloat.

It ain't gonna do my trial no harm.

You gotta say that, lawyer.

I oughta be out
of here right quick.

Perhaps.

If the prosecution can't
deliver anything more

damaging than they have already

You worry about some other witness?

No, brother.

Old lawyer here knows
they ain't got nothing else

He just don't want us to see how easy

he's earning that
great, big, fat fee

Ain't that right?

If you go free, Slote,

I'll have earned every penny.

And then some.

What kind of fool are you?

That woman could be
talking to the police right now.

Burl, it took me

three weeks to set up that Lessonbee

Now, nobody never heard her. She sure ain't told

She ain't had no reason before,

Now you go ahead and stop her mouth.

You hear?

All right, Burl.

I'll do it.

So how come you didn't learn Greek

in law school?

I never learned how to stand on my toes
either, but I once prosecuted a ballet dancer.

All right, so what do we
have? A very old woman

remembers a nice gesture from her past.

You know, because it was a nice gesture.

A lady who worked in the diner to make

Greek food for her. And
who was that lady, Mr. D.A.?

An employee.

Lessonbee didn't have any.

A third class diner.

The owner's struggling to
make out. Who works there?

last chance.

Lessonbee...

His wife, Carol.

Tracy, get on the phone to Riker's Island,

Find out who's been visiting
Burl Slote during the last six months.

Where's Saperstein?

Lieutenant?

Yeah?

We just tracked down one
of those missing witnesses,

but the guy's in Colorado.

All right, send him an
airplane ticket. First class.

Well, he says he'd like
to come back and testify.

But would you come back if you had 65

traffic warrants waiting for you?

All right, you're a cop.

Find somebody who fixes tickets.

Fix it?

Lieutenant,

do you know somebody who could fix 65

traffic tickets?

Uh Huh.

You know anybody who
could fix 65 traffic tickets?

Are you kidding? It'd be faster to start

extradition proceedings. Hey, by that time,

Slote will be long gone.
Well, lied to him Rizzo lie.

Saperstein!

I'm sorry, Lieutenant.

Didn't know where else to take him.

Keep talking, all right?

You're still living in Doros Beach.

Cuchicoo.

He was home when Metro found him.

Oh, yeah? You get anything from him

besides wine drops and freeze

Just a lot of four-letter words.
Okay, get him down to detox.

Maybe he was sober four
years ago. Goodbye, Pete.

Come on, Pete. Let's go.
Come on. You can make it.

Everything is time.

Washington says it'll take at least

two weeks to ascertain

if any of those Vietnamese
sailors settled here

after the war. Did you hear
about the guy in Colorado?

Yeah, listen, Mac, there may be at least

one witness not on the list.

You know that charming
old Greek lady? She's pointing

her finger at Mr. Lessonbee's wife, Carol.

She made great Greek dishes whenever the

old woman went to the
diner. Well, according

to the original statement, she was catering

to a luncheon for the young Republicans.

And with 16 witnesses, I doubt anybody ever

checked it out. Hold on

to him, will you? You'll find out. Okay.

Lieutenant, Line One Crocker.

Yeah, this is your leader.

Oh, good.

He's found Boston.

But Boston is reluctant,

belligerent even.

Hey, did you show him your badge?

He doesn't like cops.

How about lawyers?

You're out, too.

Does he remember Slote and his buddy?

All right, hold him. I'm
coming down. Maybe we'll

impress him with the numbers.

All right, you got anything
that looks like a subpoena?

Rent, Bill.

All right, that'll do fine. Let's go.

I'm going to get my hat.

I'm going home for dinner.

Any dissenting opinions?

Right here.

This should take care of part of it.

An earthquake in New York?

I heard you were here all
night, but I didn't believe it.

I was right. You're not here.

Good morning, Mac.

Hey, meet Jack Boston. He finally decided

to become a witness.

For or against? All right.

So he was a little reluctant to cooperate

until we proved we were
worthy of his time and effort.

Come on, can I get you some coffee?

No, thanks.

Why didn't you use your piece?

Captain, you wanted him
as a witness, didn't you?

Hey, they're pretty good.

That lawyer ought to be in the ring.

That's where I feel like I've been.

Ten rounds with Muhammad Ali.

You were here all night

with that?

What'll Boston get us besides a laugh?

Well, to begin with,

when Slote first got into
town, he worked with Boston

a couple of times, you
know, slinging the.

Freight. But that was too hard.

So he asked Boston if he wanted to open

an armed robbery business with him.

I take it Boston demurred.

Oh, is that true?

He's a tough boy.

But that was out of his line.

Anyway, one night, Slotes' drinking

with some guy, right?

Boston's in the next booth. He hears Slote

talking about a couple of jobs he pulled.

The grabber is...

He talked about how he was gonna knock over

the award diner.

What does Candoo think?

He says it'll prove prior intent.

Theo...

Boston is not exactly a
pillar of the community.

Kingsley'll tear him to pieces.

He'll buy us some time, Mac.

Part of a day, anyway.

And we start looking for the friend.

He's supposed to be a hillbilly like Slote.

I figure it's somebody from down home.

You know what I mean. Maybe a relative.

Well, if it is, I've got a name.

Tracy checked with Riker's.

Now, aside from his lawyer,

Slotes' had only one other visitor,

his brother Henry. I'll get out a warrant.

There's not much chance,

but if we can tie Slote
to the Lessonbee killing,

we can blow this thing wide open.

All right, keep him on
the stand as long as possible.

Well, I'm hoping for more than that.

Boston's a surprise witness.

Kingsley'll howl about it.

I'm hoping he'll take a
delay so he studies it.

Give me Saperstein.

All right, milk it as long as you can.

Saperstein!

Well, I hope you have
some good news for me.

Oh, that's good. Very good.

Look, when I get back,

I'll buy you an egg cream. Large.

Mrs. Lessonbee told us a little fib.

She catered the young Republicans

the day before the diner was hit.

Maybe it was her scream that I heard.

Yeah.

If she'lll admit it?

Yes, I know, but it's important.

What can you want with him now, Lieutenant?

He's dead.

It isn't him, Mrs. Lessonbee. It's you.

Look,

this is a very bad time for me.

Or haven't you noticed?

It could be a very bad
time for a lot of people

if Burl Slote goes free.

Look, don't you play the tinny trombone.

I've got one of my own.

Mrs. Lessonbe,

you weren't catering a lunch

on the day Slote robbed the diner.

You were right there making
Mousaka for old Mrs Kajabes.

You've come to the wrong

lessonbee Lieutenant.

I have no intentions of dying

for what, my city?

Slote's had four years to
remember every face in that diner,

including yours.

I'm trying to prevent your dying.

Yeah.

You're good at that.

We're pretty sure Slote's brother

killed your husband and we'll get him.

But we already have Slote.

You can help us keep him.

You started with 16 witnesses.

They haven't helped have they?

Okay.

Keeping track of
witnesses is tough at best.

But this time there was no reason.

The man pled guilty. He
was in jail, case closed.

We were lucky to find your husband.

Speaking of luck,

now you're telling me

to be a good citizen.

You go to court, I'll tell
you about citizenship

or anything else you want to hear.

We need you. But I don't want to hear it.

I've heard enough from the man

in this box.

He had the black American dream.

From Harlem to Vestry to East 56th.

The hottest catering business in town.

Mink coats for me.

Purebred dogs for him.

He paid his taxes

and he never got a parking ticket.

He believed the propaganda

you people put out.

Leave me alone.

Get out of here and leave me alone.

Just leave me alone.

The stall didn't work, Captain.

Kingsley's in a hurry this
morning and so is the judge.

I managed a 10 minute

recess because of my wounds.

Ah. c'est la guerre.

His Honor found it very colorful.

The point is, I can't stretch

Boston's testimony more
than another half hour.

Well by that time the ballistics expert

will be there.

Make sure he brings that thing.

I know, some kind of exploding bullet.

But the records show
that Slotes' gun was fired

more than once.

That ought to be worth something.

More important, it'll
give us a couple of hours.

What about Carol Lessonbee?

I haven't heard anything
yet. Kojak's with her now.

I'll get back to you.

You up to this?

It only hurts when I laugh.

What about Henry's address?

The last known is a torn down building.

We'll have pictures
on the street in an hour.

My concern is

how the lieutenant's doing.

I'd like to use your telephone please.

Oh of course sir. Right in there.

Our winged thoughts room.

Ah.

You're...

That's right.

I put your man where he is today.

My god.

Well there's no question
she's a witness, Mack.

But she's hostile, hurting, fighting.

Refuses to cooperate.

No, I don't think there's any chance.

We'll have to subpoena her.

Maybe she'll change her mind
in court, but don't count on it.

Send Crocker.

I'll stay with her till he gets here.

Right.

It's just a family thing.

My brother Burl said

you cut that buck

so I've done it.

Then he got right upset when he found out

I didn't cut you too.

He said Henry, she's the only one left.

Seen me do that killing

at the diner. That woman.

But I didn't.

I've seen em come in,

and I saw him go out.

Hold it Slote!

Oh, I am sorry.

I want a lawyer!

I want my rights!

Yeah, sure.

Rest in peace, baby.

Until the troops come.

A 38 caliber bullet weighing 150 grains

having been hollowed out

and providing it is traveling at more than

600 feet per second

will fragment upon impact.

Is this what happens when
it hits the human body?

Your Honor, I must object

on humane grounds, if nothing else.

I heartily agree.

Reach your point, Mr. Candoo.

Well, I have, Your Honor.

The witnesses just told us

that there was more than
one bullet fired from the gun

and that the bullets retrieved

from the victim's body

disintegrated on impact.

We knew that an hour ago, Mr. Candoo.

I have no more questions
for you, Mr. Ballinger.

Your witness, Mr. Kingsley.

I have no questions for
this witness, Your Honor.

You may step down.

Call your next witness, Mr. Candoo.

If I may have one moment
to confer, Your Honor.

I held him off as long as I could.

Where's Mrs. Lessonbee?

Oh, Crocker is trying to
find her to serve a subpoena now.

I'm your next witness.

You?

Yeah, Henry Slote is
downstairs in a holding pen.

He admitted to my presence

that Burl Slote told him to kill Lessonbee.

He was trying to kill
Lessonbee's wife at the time,

also ordered by your defendant.

Yeah, well, this is conspiracy, but I...

I don't know if it's relevant to this case.

Hey, counselor,

I call killing witnesses relevant.

This can be called hearsay.

There's a legal line someplace.

It's the arrest, kid.

Did he admit the conspiracy before

or after the arrest?

Before.

Then it's admissible. Rest just stay.

Mr. Candoo,

are you conferring with the lieutenant

or with Mae?

I've got it right, Judge.

Friend of the court, hey, hey.

Yeah, she's right.

It's rest just stay.

Mae's had more time in court
than anybody else in the building.

Yeah, but without Mrs.
Lessonbee to corroborate it,

we can still come up short.

Your Honor, I request permission

to approach the bench.

Yeah.

Yes, sir. I'll take care of her right away.

Hey, buddy, you can't park there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm
looking for Carol Lessonbee.

Sure, she's upstairs, 303.

That figures she won't answer the phone.

Mrs. Lessonbee?

This is Detective Crocker
from Manhattan South.

I know you're in there.

Please answer the door.

We found the killer of your husband.

Hi, I'm Detective Crocker
from Manhattan South.

I don't think you remember me.

I remember you.

You're the boy wonder
who caught the robber.

Is that why they sent you?

No, I don't think so.

I'm just the first face that they saw.

Looks like the boy wonder
business has its drawbacks.

The past couple of days it has.

I've been asked to serve you this.

After what's happened,
do you really think that

I'm going to be intimidated
by a piece of paper?

Look, lady, I don't want
you to be frightened.

Maybe some cops try
that, but I don't, okay?

Look, boy wonder, why
didn't you kill that man

four years ago and save
us all a lot of trouble?

Because I didn't have to.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, there was a brief
chase, then I took the

suspect into custody
and I came directly here.

Thank you very much,
Lieutenant Kojak, your witness.

You best start earning
your money now, lawyer.

Hear.

Lieutenant Kojak, you
come to us as yet another

surprise witness with an
even more surprising tale.

I'm somewhat at a loss, having been
denied the time to prepare a defense.

Objection, your honor.

It has been my learned
colleague who has

constantly urged greater
dispatch in this case.

Sustained. We've been
through all that, Mr. Kingsley.

You don't mind my
saying, Lieutenant, that I

find this whole
revelation a little fantastic?

No. I don't mind. It is
fantastic. And it almost worked.

And yet you want
us to believe that the

accused, a man with a
fourth grade education,

could have concocted a sophisticated
plot for murdering witnesses.

You don't need an education
to stab somebody in a basement.

Now, Detective Crocker
testified at these proceedings.

Now, he's one of your men, is he not?

One of the best.

And as his superior, then, it is only
natural that you would be protective.

Well, yes, that's part of being a superior.

Well, just how far would
you go, Lieutenant?

Objection, your honor. This is
argumentative and irrelevant.

Overruled. I'll allow the question.

Well, Lieutenant?

How far would I go to
protect my men? Let's see.

As long as they continue to be the
decent, honest, hard-working men they are,

I guess I'll have to back them to
the limit of my authority all the way.

That's very laudable, I'm sure.

Thank you.

I have no more questions for this witness.

You Mmay step down, Lieutenant.

Don't tell me that's all you're gonna do.

It's the best I can do
without digging a bigger hole.

There's nothing yet
relevant to the first crime.

In an appeal, this testimony
might be ruled inadmissible.

What do you mean by an appeal?

The defendant will remain seated.

It wasn't your subpoena, Lieutenant.

It was boy wonder you got me here.

Are you ready to proceed, Mr. Candoo?

Yes, Your Honor, I am, if I may
approach the bench once again.

You're smiling. You won?

Won? Took the jury ten whole minutes.

Hey, for the good guys!

You do that to each other?

No, we were both on the same side.

Hey, you've got a pretty good
public servant going for you here?

Well, give him six months, he'll
be drawing up wills in Scarsdale.

You're a cynic, Foxy. This
chap has a lot of good points.

Gray hair by 30, total anonymity,

no sun stroke on the golf
courses, low, low taxes.

Foxy, I hear you got a gang
killing down on 44th Street.

I'd like to take a shot at it.

I'll get the papers.

There's only so many miracles in one day.

Hey, Lieutenant.

Good show, huh? Hey, where's the kid?

I figure he earned these socks.

Well, you'd better hurry. He's
got a killing down on 44th Street.

Oh, uh... Hey, Capo, what size do you wear?

Me? Eleven, thank you very much.

Hey, Kojak, you ought to be
due for a new pair yourself.

Jealous?

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