Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980): Season 1, Episode 11 - This One's Gonna Kill Ya - full transcript

In here. Quick!

Whitney Investigations,
how may we serve you?

Don't U-turn it to
a 40-year-old murder case.

Maybe they're trying to kill me,
but they're lousy shots.

- The Air Force?
- No.

No?

I'm Colonel Arnold C. Wright.

Oh, man. What's wrong with you?

If we survive this mystery,

would you change your hobby?

Not solve the Black Dahlia?



Th-th-that's all folks!

Giddy giddy guy.

So Sable Hill couldn't have been
at the Studio Club

that Wednesday, according
to Maria Theresa's sworn statement,

she was supposed to be
at the photo session at 9:45am.

So that begs the question then,

why did Colonel Albert Steel
said he saw her in the lobby at 11am?

I wish I'd spoken to Steel,

I think he was probably
lying through his teeth.

I'm surprised they didn't grill him
on the very point.

E.L.?

Oh, yeah. Yeah...

Grill the Colonel, right.

Do me a favour, don't stir the dust
on the old news clippings.



Okay.

- Thank you.
- I've to tell Mr Laws about that.

Of course, Steel is dead and it's just
another loose end that doesn't fit.

E.L.?

Loose ends never fit,
that's why they call them loose ends.

The racing form is a real treasure hunt
this morning.

Nothing, not a thing.
Maybe this filly in the sixth.

Triangulation. What do you think?

I think that...

Sable Hill wasn't at the studio
at 9:45am,

everybody is dead,
there's no way to prove that.

Should I get down on this horse?

Wait, I may be onto something.

Let's assume she wasn't
at the photo session.

It would've been easy
for Claude Roclaire to lie for her,

he loved her,
and after lying to the cops,

he couldn't easily
have changed his story.

Let's say she wasn't
at the photo session.

Let's say she was at the club,

that Steel saw her,
like he said he did.

And that puts her approximately
in the vicinity of Jigs Duran,

who could have picked her up, killed her
and dumped the body in Hanson Dam.

- I'm betting on Triangulation.
- Bet with a bookie? Against the law.

This is why I'm afraid of,
when business is slow,

you're gonna try a fast score.

Betting on a horse is a fast score?

Come on, give me a break, will you?

It's better than trying
to figure out who killed Sable Hill.

This case is 40 years old.

Everybody involved
is either in a harp class

or stuck thinking
what they had for breakfast.

- Not Mr Laws, he's sharp as a tack.
- Look at the names you've got here.

Eh, Claude Roclaire.

Jigs Duran.

Colonel Albert Steel,
Maria Theresa Valdez.

The immortal Lieutenant Laws.

It sounds like a guest cast list
for Saturday morning cartoons.

- It's easy to make fun.
- It is not easy, my friend.

It's very tough. You see,
these clippings happen to make me...

They make me sneeze!

- It's a hobby.
- Hobby?

It's never gonna get solved,
it's for fun.

You like the horse races,
I like old mysteries.

Exciting in the 40s, nothing like
the Sable Hill killings happen today.

It was a murder
with a certain amount of romance.

Now all the killings are dirty little
things in back alleys with no witnesses.

Usually committed by street gangs
with zip guns.

Hey, hey, E.L.!

- Are you okay? Are you okay?
- Yeah.

- They tried to kill me.
- Yeah, but why?

I don't know.

I don't know!

I don't know.

I do.

It sounds like bull.

But that's exactly what happened,
officer.

I don't know who, I don't know why.

All I know is
I'm a legitimate businessman

trying to make it
in a difficult inflationary economy.

Ain't I seen you around, Turner?

Me? Officer, I must say no, unless
you're involved with the United Crusade.

I'm down there a lot, you know?

You got a record, ain't ya?
Some kind of $2 sharpie.

Wait a minute, hold on a minute.

He was shot at and was almost killed.

You don't have any right
to talk to him that way.

We pay your salary,
you're working for us.

Wait.

Let me get this straight,
this is a hot new idea for me.

You guys pay my salary?

Well, Holy Moly,
I always thought it was the City.

Well, excuse me!

- I hope you don't get my badge.
- You can save the sarcasm.

He told you what happened

and his prior mistakes
don't mean anything.

He's straight, he's paid his debt.

That's right, all paid up.

Let me explain it to you, Mr Whitney.

When you're dealing
with your criminal elements,

they have a nasty habit
to getting into little squabbles,

of what we police
like to call the "the loot".

And when that happens, sir,

they often settle up by gunning
themselves down an alley.

Well, sir, Mr Bogart...

If I may say,
in this case that theory does not apply.

I'm certainly not involved
in any illegitimate operation.

When I was in prison, one thing
I learned, we have a system out here.

And well, darn it, sir,
it's a darn good system.

It's called a capitalistic system
and with a little effort,

a little hard work,
the system can work for you.

And well, if I must say, that's what
the true reward of life really is, sir.

You sure got me convinced there.

I guess, sir, you do.

I've gotta get out of here
before I get all teary

and make a silly billy out of myself.

Yes, sir.

We expect your best efforts
in solving the case.

We're detectives and we'll be watching
the results closely.

I told you we shouldn't call them.

We've got some dumdum with sore feet.

- Bogart, badge number, 462...
- Are we filling a complaint?

- Bet your life we are.
- Don't do me favours, thanks.

Police shouldn't insult people
and make them feel like criminals.

Laws would have him
thrown off the force.

Too bad he was thrown off the force,
we could use his juice.

He wasn't. He's a pensioner,
retired with honours.

Can we get something to eat?
A beer or anything.

That makes me very mad.

I'm bummed out too.
It's no fun being the target.

Boy, I don't know, Lionel,

the level of civil servants are really
to pits today. It's terrible.

I was the one that got shot at.

But all this Bozo can do
is peg insults at me.

They won't let up.
You make one little mistake,

and they've got you underfoot forever.

I've one little question to ask.

Sure. At least you trust me, right?

Right, I do. I do.

But just to kind of
set the record straight,

and I don't want you to think
that I'm judging you...

- Or...
- Am I on the con?

Is that the question, Lionel?

Are you asking poor old E.L.

If he's out scamming pocket books off
little old ladies or holding up markets,

like that flat foot, growled at me,
accusing me through distrustful eyes?

Are you asking me to answer
that same old tired question

one more time, Lionel?

That's what...

Yeah.

OK, listen, I trust you.

You're clean, we both know it,
so next case, that's it.

The question is who is trying
to kill you, that's the question.

Maybe it's an old enemy.

Maybe it's, er...

Somebody who's gotten out of jail
carrying a grudge or something.

Yeah.

No, no, no, no.

I usually like to...

leave my marks
very clean, you know?

Usually.

Yeah, you know, I used to.

I like them to think
I'm dead or something.

It's an important part of a con...

That the mark does not walk away
hot holding a grudge.

Then who?

Oh, this is gonna
sound kind of silly, but...

What you were saying about kids
with zip guns and street murders...

As opposed to the, er, the wonderfully,
dramatic real murders of the 40s...

What I was saying wasn't quite that.

Well, what I was thinking...

Maybe just some hoped-up kids
out joy-riding,

shooting out of windows...

What if there was no reason.

What if we just dodged a random bullet?

End of story. No repeat performance.

Oh, it does happen.

It happens a lot. A lot it happens.

Some yo-yo scores some dust
and decides to blow an honest Joe.

You're the honest Joe.

What do you think?

I really, we're not working on a case,

I'm not on the con.

- You're probably right. That's...
- Of course.

We'll just be careful
for the next couple of days.

Feeling better now.

Dan, can we have
a couple more beers here?

Thank you.

~ 99 bottles of beer on the wall,
99 bottles of beer. ~

~ If one of those beers
should happen to fall, ~

~ 98 bottles of beer on the wall. ~

~ 98 bottles of beer on the wall,
98 bottles of beer. ~

~ If one of those bottles
should happen to fall, ~

~ 97 bottles of beer. ~

~ - 96 bottles of beer on the wall... ~
- Seven.

~ 97 bottles of beer. ~

~ If one of those bottles
should happen to fall, ~

~ 96 bottles of beer on the wall. ~

~ 96 bottles of beer on the wall,
96 bottles of beer. ~

Whoa!

Are you alright?

Yeah.

So much for that theory.

Let's get out of here.

Hey, Turner, I'm not calling you a liar.

Maybe it's one of the guys
from down United Crusade,

thought you were hogging
the neighbourhood's collection sheets.

We can get very tired of your sarcasm.

Won't you tell me when that happens
so I can instantly cut back on it?

Until then,
let's stay with this second attempt.

Enough lead in that alley
to issue a reclamation contract.

Like they were using machine guns.

Whoever it is, Turner,

wants you pretty bad.

I pulled your package. I got curious.

Some neat little deals there.

I especially like the...

Brooklyn Bridge sale of 1972.

You know your friend
sold the Brooklyn Bridge?

Can you believe it?
To a doctor in Boston named Levin.

He must have gone by the gas station,

had his head pumped
full of air every morning.

All this has been settled in court.

Unless you got some new charges

can we stick to this new
attempt on my life?

I'm really trying.
But where there's smoke, there's fire.

Let's write that one down, Lionel.

OK. You wanna go on telling me
you're not involved in anything

then this attempt makes no sense.

You say what are you involved in,
maybe I can work that into a lead.

It's your skin, pal.

Wanna play it tight?

I'll go down to the alley,
pick up the lead,

run it and wait for the next shot.

But I'm not involved in anything.
You got my word.

Any guy who'd sell the Brooklyn Bridge
is not the kind of guy

whose word means a great deal.

I will file the attempted 187.

Look around,
see what I can come up with,

but my hunch is I'll come up empty.

The Sable Hill murder.

You're scrapping the bottom,
that's 40 years old.

Everybody's deceased!

It's just a hobby, a puzzle.

It's a neat case. Lot of twists.

You don't get
a lush killing like that anymore.

Mostly nowadays it's junk.

Like what we're doing here.
Good night.

I've run across a lot of cops
in my time,

but this Bogart takes the kitty litter.

You sold the Brooklyn Bridge?
I thought that was a joke!

Oh, it's not a joke, Lionel.
It's a very hot con.

I would have preferred
not to use the Brooklyn Bridge,

but I was in Brooklyn at the time,
and...

I think we have to find out
what's going on.

I think we should take it to Lt Laws.
He could help us.

He could pull a few strings
in the Department.

I've had all the crummy cops
I can take for one night.

We are detectives,
can't we solve this ourselves?

Please, don't bring in
some gummy guy smelling of Vicks

who's gonna give me another rendition.

He's terrific and sharp,
he could help us to figure it out.

It never hurts to get another mind.
We don't know what's going on.

Fine, OK. In the morning, alright?

We'll sleep here tonight
taking watches.

To make sure that the killer
doesn't try to take you here.

Yeah.

Oh, getting out the old cannon, huh?

That's right,
we're not totally helpless.

No, just clumsy.

I'm not clumsy, it just slipped.

Trying to make you laugh,
pick your spirits up, that's all.

It's not working.

It's easier to French kiss an alligator
than trying to run the traffic lights

on Sunset without getting stopped.

Somehow, Mark Savage
had managed the short trip

from Vine to the Polo Lounge
without much trouble.

She met him in the lobby.

An overwhelming collage of sight,
sound and smell.

Jasmine mixed with ash blonde

and a figure that could get them up
off the marble slabs at the morgue.

Savage didn't trust her. He knew
she'd tried to kill him once already.

'Have you missed me?', she purred.

Like a wrong turn on the freeway,
he growled.

Clear.

- Sure?
- Yeah.

- Ooh!
- What? No! Not again!

Close, huh?

She could have beat us to death
with her cane.

I had a thought last night.
Don't laugh when I say this...

I'm not gonna laugh,
I'll never laugh again.

What I'm thinking...
I know you're gonna laugh.

We're wasting time here.

My thought is: what if Mr Laws and I
have turned up something

on the old Sable Hill murder?

You're laughing.

They're trying to kill me, not you.

Do we really know that?
I called Mr Laws this morning.

He said it could be Jigs Duran
because I found out where he's living.

Would you, please,
not U-turn it into a 40-year-old case?

Maybe they're trying to kill me
but they're just lousy shots.

- Be serious.
- I don't think we should ignore this.

Jigs is a violent and bitter person.
Mr Laws and myself may be in danger.

I think we ought to go over
right now and warn Mr Laws.

OK.

OK, I gotta put some mileage
on this car anyway.

I'm driving it for Mercedes
of Hollywood. It's a demonstrator.

You like it? They can't sell it used
unless it has 5,000 miles on it.

Are you scamming it?

I'm not really in the mood,
would you get in the car?

Yours is probably wired
like the nose cone of a missile.

I'll get the keys.
What...? Would you come on?

Come here.

I'm coming. I'm on my way, alright?

So you turned into a cartoon?

We left that dynamite
for the cops to pick up prints on.

We'll certainly tell Lt Laws about it.

Wait till you meet him.
Not a crime got passed him.

40 years in the force,

he handled every tough case
that came along.

You'll love him. Sharp as a tack.
He doesn't miss a thing.

He'll really help us with these attacks.

Talk about perseverance:
3 attempts in 24 hours.

Wait a minute.

- Hey, Lionel.
- Mr Laws.

What happened?

I... I don't know.

I went to answer the door
and they shot right through it.

Grazed me then I went down and...

I heard them running away.

I went out.

Came to a minute ago,
I heard you outside.

Who's that?

Oh, yes, this is E.L. Turner.
My partner. This is Lt Laws.

You were lucky there.

What you said to me this morning,

We gotta consider it a real possibility.

- We're onto something.
- Yes, sir.

But what?

I'll go wash up. Just be a minute.

OK.

This is some layout.

Mr Laws has everything on this case.

Got all this
out of the public record rooms.

When I got interested,
we got everything out of storage

and started reconstructing the case.

Newspaper clippings, old files...

You might have something here, Lionel.

You and Lt Laws may have stumbled
onto something. Who was he?

The one in love with Sable Hill,
Jugs Doogan?

Jigs Duran.
A gun was found out at Hanson Dam.

But there was no fingerprint card
made on it.

What did you find out about that
fingerprint card stuff I brought you?

Fingerprint card?

What fingerprint card?

The lead I talked to you about.

Duran said that fingerprints were found
on that gun, three good latents.

But the card was never part
of the investigation papers.

He had the name of the officer: Kinney.

You were gonna find out about him.

You told me about that?
I don't remember.

That's happening more and more
these days, total blanks.

You sure you told me?

You were gonna go down
to the Department to check it out.

I will. But I think it's time
to pay another visit to Duran.

- Got his address?
- Georgiana Hotel on Main Street.

Good. Glad he ain't staying
in no Sheraton.

Don't believe I caught the name.

Yes. Mr Laws... Remember?
I introduced you.

This is E.L. Turner,
my associate in the detective firm.

Proud to know you.

Vern Laws.
Used to be a detective myself.

I guess that makes us brothers.

- You done time, ain't ya?
- Here it comes.

Yeah.
This boy's got old jailhouse moves.

You've been a guest the State,
ain't ya, Mr Turner?

- Amazing! How can tell you that?
- It's not. You probably told him.

Yeah. I think maybe you did.

Then again, maybe not.
No difference.

- You keep your nose clean now.
- Absolutely.

You mind if I do my own hedging?

When I was on the force, I said,
"Give me a con any day for company".

Cops and cons got the same language,
the same experience.

Hey, we're in the same game,
just playing with different jerseys.

Jigs Duran.
Tried for you, tried for me.

Let's roll on over there,
bust that guy's britches.

Hey, Edna. Edna!

There's a man coming to fix the lock.

See that he gets in, will ya?

I don't think they'll talk to you.
Jigs Duran said that he hates you.

- Hates you.
- I don't blame him.

I cut that boy a new place to sit down.

He said you beat him with a rubber
hose trying to get a confession.

Sir, it didn't sound like you.
I'm sure he was lying, but...

Erm... He wasn't lying.

Things was different back then.

I'll compare the arrest records
back then with now any day.

Hell, by the time
you read them their rights,

recommend a lawyer,
case finally gets in to court,

everybody is stuck trying to remember
how all began in the first place.

Back them, you booked 'em, beat 'em,
tried 'em and fried 'em.

Let's go.

Tried 'em and fried 'em?

The way to handle this is to sit down
with Mr Duran and talk to him.

Some subtle interrogation techniques
could be useful here.

That's a rubber hose.

What... what are you gonna do with that?

He's not gonna water plants with it.

Mr Laws...

40 years I've been looking for
Jigs Duran, you find him.

That was good detective work,
you're good.

We've got that killer
where we want him now,

time to settle an old score.

If he has a handbrake, I'd pull it.

Yes. This is against the law.
You used to be a policeman.

If you commit an assault,
you'll go to jail for it.

Yeah. That's the nice thing
about being old.

Times becomes real abstract.

Most they're gonna get outta me
is a year, maybe two.

Okay. Stay behind me.

You're dead, sucker!

Come back here! I'll get you!

Come back here!

Come back here!

Got away.

I hate to bring this up,
but your friend is all over the highway.

- Is this Jigs Duran's pad?
- Yeah.

You shouldn't have come
without calling me.

- Yeah, that's true.
- Yeah.

What about these guys?
What do you think? Are they involved?

Erm...

The old duck's gonna sell us out.

Got to figure out a way
to ditch that cannon.

This is disappointing. I thought
he was something very different.

I can't believe he'd use a rubber hose.

Eh! Come here.

Come on! Now!

I understand you're packing a rod,
Whitney.

Someone is trying to kill us and I think
we've the right to protect ourselves.

You got no right to carry
a concealed weapon.

You got a gun?

Not me. I dodge the bullets
and dance at the funerals.

- I love a smart mouth.
- I'm glad it works for ya.

- I'm taking off, Bill.
- Okay. Take it easy.

Lionel,
you should not be carrying a weapon,

not unless you're licensed to do so.

Thank you for that tip.
We'll file it under 'gee whiz'.

I got an advice for you.

If you didn't leave
a trail of insults behind you,

you wouldn't make
such an attractive target!

I'll be by your apartment later.

I'll pick up all of my materials.

Okay, I suppose.

I'm gonna check
on that fingerprint card.

I'm having some strong hunches about it.

Wait a minute.
What card are we talking about?

Mr Whitney thinks there was a missing
fingerprint card 40 years ago.

He wants to dig around for it.

File that under 'gee whiz' too.

I ought to take you two downtown
and climb all over you

but I'm too tired.

So I'll just keep the Rodney here
and cut you loose.

Go on.

Go!

Sable Hill was where?

At the photo session with Roclaire
or at the Studio Club at 11:15?

- I don't know.
- You don't know?

You've been stuffing this turkey
for two months!

I'm taking a crash course.
Give me a best guess.

- I gave you my best guess.
- But I wasn't listening.

I never listen when you rabble on
about this case. Help me.

Everything is pretty much
just theory here.

Most of these guys are dead,
so we can't prove it.

Dead? Like...

Eh?

- Well, no.
- No.

Roclaire committed suicide in 46.

Colonel Steel had a car accident.

He lost his breaks coming back
from a party in Malibu

in the mid-forties.

People wonder how
detective cliche's started.

Morgan Boston was her best friend,
she can't talk now.

She was murdered
by an old boyfriend in 47.

- Sable Hill was killed in 1940.
- May of 44.

44. So, all these guys went over
the rainbow in the span of two years.

All of unnatural causes.

Lt Laws and I entertained
that theory very carefully

and came to the conclusion that
the deaths were exactly as reported.

- Forgive me if I hold my applause.
- Under the circumstances, yes.

So, you think that Jigs Duran
committed the murder.

- Yes. Well, no.
- No?

- See... Look...
- What?

Jigs Duran told me
about the missing fingerprint card,

but if he committed the murder,

then his prints were on the card,
then he'd be convicted.

The police department
said the gun had been wiped clean.

So I don't know.

Somebody or everybody is lying,
my friend.

- Wait.
- What? What've you got?

Wait. There was a lead here
that was never followed up,

that Sable had a mysterious admirer,
somebody who never came

into the Studio Club, but she always
went out to meet in his car at the kerb.

Yeah, a night caller. Here it is.

That's right.

They could never figure out who it was
'cause she had a lot of visitors.

They figured maybe it was
a famous politician or somebody.

So, was Sable Hill a hooker?

- Huh?
- Look at the picture you painted here.

She was broke, but her rent
was carried at the Studio Club.

All of a sudden, she pays her back rent,

starts hanging out with showbiz biggies
like Colonel Steel.

Next thing you know it's fine clothes,
mink stoles, but still no movie parts.

She could have been putting out,
hooking.

What do you think?

It's very interesting. Very interesting.
I never thought of that.

- How do we ever prove it?
- We run it through the police computers.

It isn't in the computer,
this case is 40 years old.

Au contraire, my friend.
It's an unsolved case.

All open cases are kept in computers.
Trust me on this.

The police aren't gonna want to
run the case for us.

We'll run it.

- A scam. Scam the Police Department?
- Lionel!

It'll be the high point of my career.

- How are you gonna do that?
- Wait.

Just give me six seconds
of uninterrupted thought, just a minute.

Lionel.

What about being in the Air Force?

What's so funny? What did you buy?

- Identification cards.
- I like it.

We can put on the aviator glasses
and walk in with a model airplane.

Can't miss.

Save the sarcasm for Sergeant Bogart.
Insignias, man!

That's the name of the game!

Give me the identification cards
out of those wallets.

I can't divulge that.
It's a matter of national security.

You'll have to see the watch commander.

I certainly hope so.

Can we do it now, son?

Captain Matthews, we have two Air Force
M.P's, a Colonel Arnold C. Wright

and a Colonel Boyd Fuller.
They say they are from the Pentagon.

Captain Matthews is upstairs,
second door right.

As you were, Sergeant.

As you were.

- Yes?
- We're looking for Captain Matthews.

I'm Colonel Arnold C. Wright
and this is Colonel Boyd Fuller.

Air Force Internal Security Pentagon.
Attached to SCAB.

Whatever that is.

SCAB is Security Clearance Actuary
Background Investigation.

We need access to your computer room
for about five minutes. Where is it?

- Can I see your identification again?
- You certainly can.

I thought I showed it to you.

Do you have any aspirin?

Colonel Fuller's had a terrible headache
ever since he left Virginia.

It's a blinder.
Can I have a couple of aspirins?

Please, ma'am!

We had this eight-hour turnaround
in Paris and that air transport food

explodes in your system
like a grenade in a Russian tank.

Thank you.

- You were going show me those cards.
- Yes. Here you go, boy.

- Oh!
- You dropped the aspirins.

I'm sorry. It's an old war injury.
Would you pick up the aspirins?

I'll check in with General Keaton and
tell him to hold the transport at Norac.

- Can I use your phone?
- Use the phone. I don't believe this.

This is SCAB team L-2
on an open line to Team Captain.

Right. We'll hold.

16 code check.

Affirmative previous date. No contact.

Red system, mark seven.

You'd better tell Bishop to shake a leg.

That's all of them.

We're 10 minutes over
the holding pattern.

They said Scorpion would pick us
up in the chopper.

You are about as cute
as a speckled puppy under a wagon.

Now you can see
we're up the old flagpole here.

NSC is in a rip-roaring flap.

We're already in a code red.

We'd appreciate going through
your computers.

All we wanna do is run three
little names on your locals L.A.,

get ourselves a look through
some police records.

Computer room is in the basement.

I'll call down to the operator,
her name is Gail.

Why don't you just tell me
what's going on?

There's plenty going on,
Captain Matthews.

It should hit the papers
about Wednesday. Read it.

Any info at the Pentagon...

- Boy, may we make it, please?
- Uh-huh.

Thank you.

The thing with the aspirin
was brilliant.

Change of direction.

Isn't that the guy who is
always on the cover of your books?

Who, him?

Do you have paper and a pencil?

How come you're running this old murder
case through the Vice records?

Not ours to know the reason why.

Ours is but to punch out the
information, not ask silly questions.

We're in sort of a hurry.

You spend much time in L.A.?

As a matter of fact, quite a bit.

Erm... I'm in the book. Gail Stricklyn.

I'm in the book too, Lionel Whitney.

I thought you said Colonel Fuller.

We all have our local IDs.
Baton Rouge!

- Yeah!
- Forth Worth! Ain't that something!

We better scramble. Code 6.

Peter Rabbit makes the touchdown
at 0600. Code chatter.

Be cool. Look cool, man.

Watch out for Bogart too, OK?

Bogart!

Get those guys!

Get them!

Get those guys!

I'm fine! Get them!

Get in here!

- Take off your jacket.
- We're in a police station.

- Let me think!
- Think, think.

We're in a police station.

I told you I hate this,
I didn't wanna do this.

- Sit down, man.
- What are you doing there?

Never mind. Just take off your tie.

- Put it around your head.
- You're nuts!

- Shut up! Move it out. Easy, easy!
- Why did you get me into this?

Come on. You should be able to do
this thing.

Oh, man! Come on!

Come on, man!

Hold this thing up, man.

They're always in the way. Come on!

Would you watch yourself, man!

What's wrong with you, man?
They pay you do nothing?

You come on the job, man,
you mess up all the...

Put it down, let me talk to you, man.

Let me talk to you a minute.
Let's get out of here.

They are out here! Get our front!

Come on!

Let me see the printout.

Son of a gun! I was right, I was right!

Sable Hill did have a record
in prostitution.

- She did?
- You'll never guess who busted her.

Lieutenant Vern E. Laws.
March 6th, 1944.

He was working the Vice Squad.

Two months later,
when she was killed,

he was in charge of her murder case.

What's that, a coincidence?

For sceptics among us,

he booted around the evidence
until it was hopelessly snarled up.

Beat Jigs Duran into silence,
lost the fingerprint card

and probably killed all the witnesses.

- He killed her?
- Vice cops get hooked on hookers.

It'd explain why the case has been
so hopelessly snarled up.

40 years later you come along.
Here you are 40 years later. I love it.

And you go to your favourite pastime
of solving all these classic cases.

Old Vern is stuck. He knows you'll solve
the case with him or without him.

I'll bet he's just stalling.

He's had you on a butterfly hunt
most of the time.

He gave me a lot of leads
that didn't lead anywhere.

- Buddy.
- What?

- May I make a suggestion?
- Yes.

- Something to think about.
- What?

If we survive this mystery,
would you change your hobby?

Something like crossword puzzles.
Please!

And not try to solve the Black Dahlia?

Right.

Do you think it's a good idea
coming back here?

I want to get all the information
about this case.

There may be something
we can use to nail Laws.

- What if the cops are here?
- Come on, man!

There's no way they could get here
before us. Come on!

- What is it? Is it clear?
- Yes.

Okay.

Whitney speaking, owner-operator
of Whitney Investigations.

Mr Whitney, it's Jigs Duran.

I'm afraid for my life,
Mr Laws is trying to kill me.

I need some help.

- Can you meet me?
- Where are you?

Not here, some place where
we won't be observed.

Do you know Hanson Dam?

Yes. That's where Sable Hill's body
was found.

I'm out in that area now.

The spot where they found her.

By the old boathouse.

In an hour.

Okay. Let's go.

Cartwright and Miller.

Which one of you is Bogart?
You aren't from Hollywood Division.

Metro Squad.
We've got the evidence secured.

We're gonna put it in the unit
and send it to S.I.D.

Don't go upstairs. Tell Bogart
we're sending in the lab team.

- We'll sit here. Have we got a murder?
- We've got a very damn sticky situation.

Don't ask damn silly questions
or I'll have you up on charges.

Charges! Oh, boy! What a kidder!
Come on, Cartwright, let's go.

What do you do, man?

Don't do that again.

Let's get out of here.

C'mon. Just c'mon. What are you doing?!

Leave that stuff in there!

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

- You want one of these?
- No, no.

Nothing personal,
but could you stand over there?

This could be a set up
and we're unarmed.

- You can't be serious.
- Dead serious. C'mon.

Mr Duran!

Mr Duran!

Hello?

Hey. Isn't here a subtler way?

"Mr Duran, Mr Duran, hello"...
Like that?

Place is spooky, huh?

Yeah.

Look...

Maybe you should give me one of those.

- You want one?
- Just in case.

Boy, this is getting more and more
like a Saturday morning cartoon.

Mr Duran?

He's trying to kill us all!

You're dead! All of you!

Come here.

- Now?
- Not yet.

- Now?
- No.

- Now?
- Let it burn down.

Let it burn down?

- Can I throw it?!
- No.

- You see what the problem is?
- Yeah.

- Let's try it again.
- I'll throw this one.

- OK.
- Not yet.

- OK.
- Not yet.

- OK!
- Not yet.

- Let me throw it.
- You kidding?

C'mon, throw it, man.

You alright?

Uh... Yeah.

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

Wait, let me see her now.

Let's say that the Black Dahlia
wasn't where the police said she was,

that she wasn't killed there at all.

This is a mind twister. It can take
a while to get it straight in your mind.

This mailman for instance.
He's dead, of course.

Said that when he delivered the mail
to her house, at 10:30, she was there.

Stick with me.

Oh... Did you get that gift I sent you?

The crossword puzzle book, yeah,
I got it. Now pay attention.

I got a lot of stuff from the library.

Excuse me, buddy.

I gotta go to the little boys room.
Hold that point, Black Dahlia.

Good stuff.

You're excused.

Whitney Investigations,
how may we serve you?

Sergeant Bogart's office calling.
Hold for Sergeant Bogart, please.

Whitney, this is Sergeant Bogart.

What is it?

I had a hunch you'd be messing around
on more unsolved cases.

That library gave me a call.

Let me get it to you straight, boy.

I catch you messing around
on the old Black Dahlia,

I'm gonna get your buns.

No playing around
on an open police investigation,

you got that, clown?

Yes, I understand what you're saying.

You mess around on this one
and I'm gonna get you

Or my name ain't Sergeant Bogart.

Which, of course, it ain't.

C'mon!

- Came to get you to sign the statement

and I get a bonus:
impersonating an officer.

I was just playing
a practical joke on my partner!

Let's work it out downtown.

Cartoons...