T.J. Hooker (1982–1986): Season 3, Episode 17 - Hot Property - full transcript

Hooker and his colleagues take part in a drugs raid at a scrapyard. Afterwards, the body of a policeman is found; he wasn't involved in the raid and Hooker begins to suspect the officer was corrupt. Meanwhile, Stacy, who logged in the heroin seized, crosses paths with her former fiance, a lawyer who (unbeknown to her) has links to the same drugs gang. When he engineers a switch whilst the drugs are in transit to the LCPD laboratory, Stacy is suspended and eventually decides to quit the force. Hooker must solve the case, whilst saving both Stacy's career and her life.

(upbeat synthesizer music)

- Looks like the
mailman just delivered.

Let's give them time
to unwrap the package.

- We're ready Hooker.

Just say when.

- He's pulling
out the spare tire.

The drugs could be in there.

- Listen, Butler, just
be sure my buyers

don't get hassled
by the retailer.

- I'll see what I can do.

- I don't pay you to see.



When I pay a cop like I'm
paying you, I pay you to do.

- The division of Vice
busts a lot of joints

that I never hear about.

- He's got the smack.

I'm moving in.

- Let's do it.

Come on. Let's go.

- Showtime, Lieutenant?

- Showtime it is.

Let's go pick up the trash.

- Police! Headed this way!

- You set me up, you lousy cop.

- I didn't know, Coleman.

I didn't know, I swear!



- Petey, take care of him.

- I didn't know!

- This is the police.

Lower your guns down and
come out with your hands up.

(guns firing)

- They've got us pinned.

- Well, stay here.

- Try it.

Drop the gun.

Now!

Put your hands behind your neck.

(guns firing)

- It'll be a long
time before you see

the street again, dirtball.

- Why'd you do it?

Heist one of your own men?

(guns firing)

(engine revving)

- [Policeman] Drop it!
Hands above your head!

Move! Move!

(moaning) Come on, down, down.

- [Stacy] Hooker over here.

(steel scraping)

(guns firing)

(metal crashing)

(Policemen shouting)

- [Tom] Alright, cuff them.

- Out of there.

Out!

On your knees.

Hands behind your neck.

- Paul Butler, out of Midtown.

He's back there, blown away.

- Butler?

Well, what was he doing here?

He couldn't have known
about the operation.

It was a secret.

- Maybe he was conducting
an investigation on his own?

- Yeah, maybe.

- Well, we'll get into it.

But right now I want
that slime locked away.

As for the stash, well,
you be coveted Hooker,

so you earned the right
to book it into property.

- All this for two
bags of white powder.

- Well, it may not
look like much,

but that white powder you're
holding is pure China White.

They cut it, put
it on the street,

you've got six million
dollars to line your pockets.

Book it, Stace.

A gold star beside your
record wouldn't hurt.

- Oh, no Hooker,
you're the one who...

- Will you book it.

You know how I hate paperwork.

Besides I'm gonna
have my hands full

telling Mrs. Butler
that she's a widow.

(dramatic music)

- Ta da.

- Hey, what do you got there?

Cocaine?

- Heroin, Glazer.

Two kilos of China White.

Six million bucks
worth on the street.

- Thanks to the heroic
efforts of my partner.

- Okay, you guys,
give me a break.

- Sure, as long as you
don't get a big head.

- How'd you both like
a knuckle sandwich?

- Here's a receipt
and claim number

for when the stuff
goes in for testing.

- Which may be pretty soon.

Coleman claims that's sugar.

- Yeah, I guess he was
going to bake a big cake.

- Boy, do I have
a recipe for him.

(intrepid music)

- Hooker.

What a nice surprise.

What are you doing here?

If you're looking for
Paul, he's on duty today.

- Ellen, I have some
bad news for you.

- Hooker, is he here?

- He's been shot.

- Where is he? I
want to go to him.

- I'll have someone
drive you downtown.

- Okay.
- Ellen.

He didn't make it.

Some of the wives will be over

to pick up the
kids after school.

(crying)

- How am I going
to tell the boys?

- You're gonna need a lot
of help to get through this.

The department has
people who do that.

I'll do whatever I can.

(sobbing)

(chanting)

- Stace.

It's good to see you.

- It's good to see you too, Mac.

- Three months
can be a long time,

when you care for someone.

- I thought about
it for a long time

before I returned your ring.

- And I've honored your wishes.

I haven't tried to see you.

- I know. I appreciate that.

- Stace, we're
still friends, right?

Then let's have a
nice, friendly dinner.

- I'm not sure that'd
be a good idea.

- Tonight.

Armando's.

- (chuckles) Sounds tempting.

I don't know.

- If you're uncomfortable,
you can just have

a glass of wine and leave.

No strings attached.

Okay?

- I'm gonna hold you to that.

- Terrific.

I'll pick you up at eight.

- Okay.

- So, Mackenzie's back?

And Stacy's got him.

- What big eyes
you have, Grandma.

- He may be a hot shot attorney,

but I never much
liked the guy, you know.

- I know.

(cars honking)

- Ellen Butler must have
taken the news hard.

- Like every other cop's wife,

every time her husband
went off to work,

she waited for someone
to deliver the bad news.

I've had my share of
delivering that bad news.

And for Ellen, the wait is over.

- This snitch we're
looking for, Joe Deems,

you figure he knows
why Paul Butler was

in the wrecking yard?

- A rehabbed hype who
went back on the needle?

And locked into Coleman.

- None of the guys
arrested in the bust

said word one about anything.

What makes you
think Deems will talk?

- He's a junkie.

And junkies can be made
to do almost anything.

(rock music)

- The hoods who
hang out here seem

to be pretty high up the ladder.

Wouldn't think
Deems would fit in.

- Deems fits in anywhere,
blends with the wallpaper.

That's what made him
such a valuable snitch.

Hi there, and put your
hands on the table.

- Freeze.
- Get everything out

of your pockets.

- You can't pull
this in my club.

- Oh no? Watch me.

- Your purse fever
went to your pockets.

- You guys stink.

- Coming from you,
that's a compliment.

But I'll tell you what I'll
do, I'll make you a deal.

You deliver Joe Deems
to me, I'll back off.

- I haven't seen him in weeks.

- You're lying
through your teeth.

Deems! Hold it!

(glass crashing)

(car engine starting)
(tires squealing)

- Mr. Deems seems to
be allergic to blue suits.

- We're gonna keep
looking, Romano.

Until we find him.

(romantic piano music)

(Harrison chuckling)

- Oh, good.

I think I will have
some espresso.

Thanks.

Now, where were we?

- You were trying to convince me

we ought to pick
up where we left off.

- So tell me, how
I'm doing so far?

- You always were
persuasive, counselor.

Can't see how you'd
ever lose a case.

- Somehow I get the feeling
I'm not winning this one.

- Look, Mac.

The reason I didn't
want to see you

after I broke off
the engagement is

because it just hurt too much.

- Are you hurting now?

- I'm a police officer.

And I worked hard
to get where I am.

I want to keep on
doing what I'm doing.

You never could understand
how important that is to me.

- I started understanding.

Just about the time
you said goodbye.

- You know, you
were making me crazy.

The endless pressure to choose
between my career and you.

- I admit it.

I was a little crazy myself.

It's called being in love.

- You know, as long as
we're admitting things,

if I were looking for a husband,
you might be the right guy.

- Thank you.

- I'll be right back.

- We must have hit half the
gin mills in town last night,

but no Joe Deems.

- The guy is a phantom.

I missed him twice.

- So how long do we
keep rousting bars?

- Until we find him.

The one thing that bothers me,

in four of the spots we hit,

there were drug buyers from
cities up and down the coast.

- You know, I ran
into three dealers

I busted in San Francisco.

- With Coleman's heroin
in our property room,

what are they
hanging around for?

- A new supply coming
in from somewhere?

- Not according to
our street sources.

- A smile like that,
I don't have to ask

how your date went last night.

- I'll never tell.

- If it was with
who I think it was,

you haven't got
your head on straight.

- Fortunately, that's none
of your business, partner.

- What was that all about?

- Harrison Mackenzie.

She started seeing him again.

- I'm sorry to hear that.

I thought she made the right
move when she broke with him.

- Will you guys lighten up?

Like she said, it's
none of our business.

- Did you hear
her voice just now?

- Yeah.

But it wasn't the
voice of experience.

- Mr. Avery.

- Thank you.

You don't look
happy to see me, Mac.

- Here's the wax impression
of her patrol car key.

But I want you to pass the word.

I don't want anything
to happen to that girl.

I love her.

- Well, that's the
reason for this.

It's safe, non-violent,
no gun play.

We pick up the keys,
we know the time

they're taking the heroin
to the lab, and the route.

We create a
diversion and it's ours.

- The heroin Coleman was
arrested with is yours, isn't it?

You're the man behind Coleman.

- Let's not complicate
our relationship

with extraneous information.

I had a job for you
to do and you did it.

- Okay, I did it.

Now where are the tapes you
made of our phone conversations?

- Patience, Mackenzie.

- You promised me, Avery.

Dammit you lied to me!

- You're the one who came to us.

Wanting to sell
perjured testimony.

- I was young, ambitious.

One single, stupid mistake.

How long to I have
to keep paying for it?

- Well, I'd say it
paid off rather well?

- No more!

I'm through doing
your dirty work.

- Perhaps.

But we'll decide that.

Not you.

- Well, here you are.

Two one-kilo packages
of white powder.

Checked out to Officer Sheridan.

Destination?

- Downtown police lab.

Coleman's lawyer asked
for an immediate testing.

- And what Warren Avery
wants, he usually gets.

- So you had dinner with him.

And?

- It was a very nice evening.

And the rest is classified.

- They just passed Ninth
heading south on Central.

Right on schedule,
just like Leery planned it.

- We're on the move.

- Jim.
- I see them.

(tires screeching) I got it.

- Four adam 16, we have
a 2-11 at Fifth and Central.

Officer on foot pursuit.

- Call in. Tell them
we're rolling backup.

- Dispatch, this four
adam 30, (siren blaring)

rolling backup to 16.

(gun firing)

(siren blaring)

(tires screeching)

- Let's hear about it.

- Two suspects
hit that liquor store.

They got a shot off at Jim.

- They got away.

- What's wrong, Jim?

- A garbage can ran into me.

I'm beginning to feel it.

- You're the store owner?

Anybody hurt inside?

Detectives are on their way.

Don't touch anything
until they get there.

Romano, see that
Jim gets to the hospital.

Make sure of that shoulder.

I'll ride with Stacy.

- Not even a trace of narcotic.

- Then what the hell is it then?

- Milk sugar.

Not even good milk sugar.

- We know it was heroin.

We field tested it
at the wrecking yard.

- It was pure China White.

- I'm sorry.

- If you people will excuse me,

I have a client who just
spend the night in jail

for possessing sugar.

- A murder was committed
at your client's wrecking yard.

And he was there.

- My client's not
responsible for people

who trespass on his property,

but if you still want to
trump up some charge,

be my guest.

- Now the packages
I turned over to you

at the junkyard
contained pure smack.

- And I'll tell you again, I
have no idea what happened

to the heroin.
- Well you better

figure it out, Sheridan.

Or you're gonna
take a giant fall

when you face the trial board.

Badge and gun, Sheridan.

- How's the shoulder?

- Sprained ligaments.
I'll be alright.

- Lieutenant.

The buyers who drifted into town

to stock up on Coleman's
heroin are still here.

Why?

- Right, maybe they got a tip

it would be back
in Coleman's hands.

- You still have to explain
how Coleman got the stuff.

Unless Sheridan here
handed it over to him.

- I don't believe that man.

- Forget about him.

We'll find the smack.

And who took it.

- I'd help, but he lifted
my badge and gun.

- Where do we start?

- With Paul Butler. Being
at the yard with Coleman.

I got a sick feeling
he's mixed up in this.

- This lady friend of yours.

I wonder how she'd react, say,

if you were
disbarred, sent to jail.

- What if the cops
found out that Coleman

was just a front for you?

- You have no
proof. I have tapes.

(Harrison sighs)

- Alright.

What do you want me to do.

- There's $10,000 in there.

Exchange it for two small
packages and bring them to me.

- You're talking
about the heroin?

- (chuckles)
You're a bright man.

Be exceptionally bright.

Don't come back without it.

- You're gonna need
help along the way.

I want you to call me.

- Okay.

The papers that you said
you'd take care of for me,

Paul's pension and all of
that, I brought them with me.

I just want to be
finished thinking

about all of those things.

The boys and I are gonna
go away for a couple of weeks.

Take your advice.

- Good, I'm glad
you're gonna do that.

- Here's everything
I could find.

I hope you can make
some sense out of it.

- Well, I'll try.

I'm sorry to bring this
up at this time, but...

- What is it?

- When I was by the other day,

I couldn't help but notice
the new car in your driveway.

Wondered, how you could
manage it on Paul's paycheck.

- Paul got a stock market tip.

From an ex-cop who went
to work for a brokerage.

- Marty Winestock?

- Yes.

Winestock.

Thank you.

For everything.

Goodbye.

- Bye.

(waves crashing
and seagulls cawing)

- It's more than just
unfair, Stacy, it's lousy.

I know how much
you put into the job,

how dedicated you are.

- You're just
prejudiced, but I like it.

- I was just wondering
if you still feel

so gung ho about the department,

seeing the way
they're treating you.

- Don't worry about it.

I can take care of myself.

- I never doubted that.

- But if you should happen
to decide not to be a cop...

- Well, then what
else would I be?

- You'd be you.

Beautiful, loving, warm.

- (laughs) Deja vu time.

Seems I've heard
those words before.

- Same words. Same feelings.

You may also recall that I said,

I love you.

- I didn't forget what you said.

Or what I said.

I remember everything
about that night.

I always will.

- I want to do more
than just remember.

I want to live that
night again and again.

Every night, for
the rest of my life.

- Are you saying what
I think you're saying?

- I have never ever felt this
way about anybody before.

Ever.

(chuckles)

Stacy Mackenzie.

(laughs)

- Has a nice ring.

- Yeah, oh.

Speaking of which.

- You kept it.

- Why don't we
see if it still fits?

- I just finished making up
Paul Butler's pension forms.

Give me a hand with the
rest of the papers, will you?

- Sure.

Here's his will.

- Drawn by Warren Avery.

- What kind of cop
can afford his fees?

- Think it.

There is one kind.

- What are you saying
Paul Butler was on the pay?

- According to this
will, Paul had $50,000

in a bank account
in the Bahamas.

(phone ringing)

Hooker.

Great, we'll be right there.

It's Corrigan.

Just talked to Joe
Deems' girlfriend.

Said he's hanging out
at the old loading docks

on Commerce Street.

- Mackenzie.

- You got the stuff, Deems?

- It's in the car.

Where's the money.

Just take one.

Figure I took a big risk.

Big enough for a bonus.

- Hey, man that's your problem.

That's all the
money they gave me.

- Then that's all
the smack you get.

- I can't go back
with just half the stuff.

They'll kill me.

- That's your problem.

(gun firing)

(car starting)

(metal crashing)

- Find out what
went on over there.

(siren blaring)

- Hooker, look out!

(metal crashing)

You okay?

- Yeah.

- You think that was Deems?

- I know it was.

(chanting)

- Ran the license plate on
the car you guys chased,

belongs to Joe Deems.

- I know.

- Stacy, what's
with the suitcase?

- Just cleaned out my locker.

- Stacy, the trial board
isn't until next week.

You'll be back on duty by then.

- There's not gonna
be a trial court.

I'm quitting.

- Stace, you got to be kidding.

- Well, I'm not.

All the training
and busting my butt

at the Academy, for this?

Well, Reed and
trial board can stuff it.

- Hey, hey, hey.

Cool down. You're
not thinking clearly.

You're a cop.

Born and bred.

What else would you do?

- Mac and I are getting married.

Haven't set the date yet, but
it won't be a long engagement.

- Well, how about that.

- Stacy, turning in your badge,

giving up without
clearing yourself.

That's not right.

- Hooker, if you were defending
me at the trial board today,

what kind of case would I have?

- You still have
time to fight it.

It's not taking place today.

- But today I need someone.

And I've got Mac.

- You know the way you
and Corrigan lit into Stacy

didn't exactly lift her spirits.

- She'll get over
fallen spirits.

It's the rest of her
life I'm worried about.

- That's the point, Hooker.

It's the rest of her
life, her marriage.

- To the wrong guy.

- I don't like Mackenzie
anymore than you do,

but she loves him.

I guess she wouldn't consider
marrying him if she didn't.

- Don't you think I know that.

There he is.

Ready for his limo.

(siren blaring)

He was traveling
the line back there.

License please.

- I hope you have
cause to stop us, Hooker.

I'd hate to think that
you were harassing me.

- Mr. Avery, just
admiring your limo.

- Somehow, I get
the feeling you've

got something else on your mind.

- Well, as a matter of fact,
I was thinking about a will.

- It'd be a pleasure
to draw yours.

- At $500 an hour?

That is your fee, isn't it?

- Oh, for a servant of the
people, I'd make allowances.

- Like you did for Paul Butler?

- I make out all kinds of wills.

- Butler was on your
payroll, wasn't he?

You and your clients, Coleman?

- If you had proof
of that Hooker,

rather than riding in my
car, I'd be riding in yours.

(Hooker chuckles)

- You ought to empty
your ashtrays more often.

Be seeing you.

Soon.

Have a nice day.

(door bells jingling)

- What are you doing here.

- I saw your car
parked out front.

Stacy, we need to talk.

- We have nothing to talk about.

- The hell we don't.

You're making two of
the biggest mistakes

of your life, back to back.

- You just have a
blind spot about Mac.

- Not a blind spot, I
just don't like the guy.

And the way he's taking
advantage of your situation

to stampede you down the
aisle makes me know I'm right.

- Wait a minute, I'm standing
here in my wedding dress,

while you run down the
man I'm about to marry.

Something is very
wrong with that.

Okay, enough about Mackenzie.

Your other mistake is giving
up on yourself, on being a cop.

Without putting up a real fight.

That's not like you
Stace, you're no quitter.

- I'm just being practical.

The deck is stacked a
mile deep against me.

- Who fed that
kind of bull to you?

Mackenzie?

We're here, Hooker,
Romano, and me.

We'll do everything we can
to help you clear yourself,

but you have to try too.

- Jim, no more please.

- Look, if you really want
to quit and get married,

okay, do it.

But with a clean slate.

Take them to the mat.

Prove you're innocent.

And if you still want to,
turn in your badge for good

and I'll be there
to kiss the bride

and shake hands with the groom.

Just think about it, okay?

Hey.

You sure look beautiful.

- You have been
playing with that match

since you talked to Avery.

- You know how
Mackenzie lights his pipe?

With a wooden match.

Tamps down the
tobacco with the end.

- You found that
in Avery's limo?

- I got to talk to Stacy.

(waves crashing)

Stacy.

Glad I found you.

I was worried.

Thought maybe
you might be too hurt

and upset to think straight.

- About resigning?

- Well, not just that.

Marriage too.

- You don't know Mac, Hooker.

- Do you, Stacy? Do
you really know him?

- Enough to want to marry him.

- I wish I didn't
have to tell you this.

But it looks like
Mackenzie is involved

with Avery, Coleman's lawyer.

And possibly more.

He may be behind
whoever stole your evidence.

- That's crazy.

He would never do
anything like that.

Not to me.

- Well, think about it.

He could have stolen the heroin

when you were out of the
car with a key to your trunk.

And I'm willing to bet
that Mackenzie had access

to those keys
sometime before that.

- Don't do this to me, Hooker.

You have no proof.

- All I'm asking for is time.

Don't rush into anything.

- I love Mac. I trust him
and I'm gonna marry him.

Now please, just go away.

- Sometimes, friends
hurt each other.

Perhaps you'll understand that.

- Don't be stupid, Mackenzie.

Benjamin will relish the
opportunity to educate you.

- Look, we all know how
much the heroin's worth.

All I want are those
tapes you promised me.

(intercom buzzing)

- Yes?

- [Secretary] Miss
Sheridan's here to see you.

- Okay, send her in.

Hey, what a terrific surprise.

- I have to speak with you, Mac.

- Well, communication is
the basis of all relationships.

- I've been talking to Hooker.

- Well, whatever
he said it's a lie.

The man just wants to
keep you all for himself.

- This is serious, Mac.

Hooker suspects
you're into something...

- Honey, if Hooker digs
into anybody's background

long enough and hard enough,

he's bound to come
up with something.

- We're talking about
you, and your background.

What is he going to find?

- Okay, so I cut a corner,
every now and then,

just to make a buck.

But nobody's perfect.

What's the use of
living if you can't enjoy it.

- What about ethics and morals?

- Ethics and morals.

I think you'll find
them in a trailer park

on the wrong side of the tracks.

- It's alright, Mac.

- Okay, let's hear it.

What did Hooker say about me.

- It's not what he said,
it's what you just said.

We come from different places

and we're not headed
in the same direction.

- Leave her out of this.

- What's going on, Mac?

- Quite simply, my
dear, Mr. Mackenzie is

about to decide which
is more important,

two kilos of
heroin or your life.

- Come on Avery.

I'll take you to the heroin.

But she stays here.

- You've got to be kidding.

- You really think
Mackenzie could

have stolen the heroin himself?

- If he copied Stacy's keys,

he could have wound
up with the heroin.

I'm not passing up any bets.

- A search warrant and
a dog, what is going on?

- Searching and sniffing.

- Go Sam, do your stuff.

Do you know when
Mr. Mackenzie will be back.

- No, he left with Miss
Sheridan and the others.

(dog whining)

- Hooker, Sam's onto something.

The heroin was in
here, but it's gone now.

- Look it's really important
we find Mr. Mackenzie.

- Well, he just walked out of
here, he didn't say anything.

- Probably to turn
over the heroin.

- He had an appointment
at the Carmelli warehouse.

That place has been
shut down for years.

- Well, that's a
foreclosure litigation.

Here's the notice
to turn the keys

over to the court
and the keys...

Well, that's funny the
keys were right here.

- Well, that's better, Mac.

You've almost
restored my faith in you.

- Your girlfriend
could bury all of us.

- Well, she won't.

She'll keep quiet.

- She's a policewoman.

And she knows all about us.

You know, you're
not just looking

at a few years for
suborning a witness.

You killed Joe Deems
for these narcotics

and all of us are implicated.

Now the only way we
can trust you, let you live,

give you the tapes,

is for you to take care
of Miss Sheridan for us.

- No, no I can't.

- Yes, you can.

- No.
- Yes.

It's your life or
hers, Mackenzie.

Now just pull the trigger
and the slate is clean.

- How did you go so wrong, Mac?

- It could have been
great, you and me.

A wonderful life.

- I thought so once.

I cared about you.

So much more than you know.

- Get it over with, Mackenzie.

Waste her, now.

(tires screeching)

- At least we know Avery's here.

- It's locked.

- They're all in there.

They got a gun on Stacy.

- We got to get in there.

(glass breaking
and metal crashing)

(gun firing)

(guns firing)

- Mac.

- (groaning) Stace.

I'm sorry.

- So am I.

- Stay here, Stacy. I'll
call for an ambulance.

(punches landing)

(gun firing)

(glass crashing)

(punches landing)

- Alright, maggot. Let's go.

We're on the wrong floor.

- See her come in?

- I checked with Pam Meyers,

she's not in the
woman's locker room.

- Don't you worry.

Jim will have his partner
riding shotgun this shift.

- I hope so.

It's been rough on her,

the pending trial
board, being suspended.

- Stacy knows the system.

The department couldn't
function without her.

- Okay, what about Mackenzie.

It's got to be
a jolt to find out

what she found out about him.

- Yeah, not to mention
him letting Stacy take

the rap for what he did.

- Listen she's tough,
she'll deal with it.

- I hope you're right.

- Well, she's not here.

- Hey, if she needs
another day or two,

no big deal, you know.

- Sorry I'm late.

I had to pick up my
uniform at the cleaners.

Well, how about it guys?

They're not paying us to
stand around in the parking lot.

(upbeat synthesizer music)