The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 1, Episode 11 - The Bullet - full transcript

( upbeat jazz theme playing )

ANNOUNCER: The
Streets of San Francisco.

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Karl Malden.

Also starring Michael Douglas.

With guest stars Carl Betz...

Geraldine Brooks...
Patrick Conway...

Norman Alden... Hari Rhodes.

Tonight's episode:

"The Bullet."

( pleasant theme playing )



You wanna count it?

Oh, now, what kind
of a thing is that?

No, of course not. But
I do wanna talk to you.

Now look, I just wanna get...
I just got the dandiest notion.

Clipped an article out
of the school paper,

you know, from your college.

Jeff, we're gonna
get you a better job.

No, look, I read the article.
I don't want the position.

Well, you haven't given it
as much thought as I have.

Now, we gotta think
about Alice, Jeff.

Your future.

Now, Alice has been
a good wife to you.

She's gone without.

She's put up with
our limited means.



But head of the department...

it's a wonderful opportunity,

and the salary is 2,800 a year
more than we're making now.

Not interested.
Twenty-eight hundred.

That still only brings your
payments to 185 a month, son.

No.

Jeff, you've got to consider it.

Now, look, you're eligible
for the advancement.

You've passed up better
positions twice now, son.

No. It means opening
up my records.

As long as I stay just what I
am, nobody cares what I've been.

Jeff... ( car arriving )

That's odd.

I don't have anybody scheduled.

Uh, Jeff, would
you mind stepping

over here into the
kitchen, please,

and waiting just a few minutes?

Yeah.

Mr. Dayton?

That's right, sir.

Borrman.

I've never met Dr. Borrman,
but he's 58 years old.

You're not.

I made it very
clear to Dr. Borrman

he was to come in person.

This is a confidential
relationship.

You got a tape recorder
in that briefcase?

I'll take the file.

All right.

Just put the gun
away. I'll get it.

( gunshot )

( grunts )

( funky theme playing )

( car starts )

( tires squeal )

A cop, huh?

Dayton was a cop.

Yeah, he was on
the beat when I was.

In, um, 1959,

he took a bullet in the
gut in a liquor-store holdup.

Drew light duty after that.
Let me guess. Records, right?

Mm-hm. You
guessed right, Records.

Four years ago, Internal
Affairs got wind of something,

and he resigned under pressure.

Steve, take a look at this.

Newspaper clippings.

Right up to date on everybody
that he's had a record of.

My guess is that

he nailed everyone who
was beginning to make it.

Blackmail. Mm-hm. Blackmail.

I wonder what it is that
makes a guy go wrong.

You know, somebody
tore off today's date already.

Say, maybe the lab can make
something from the impressions.

MAN: Mike, how about it?
Can we roll with the body now?

Yeah. Thanks, doc.

Fellas are finished with the
pictures and the measurements.

Yeah, bullet's been pried out.

Check the others,
will you, buddy boy?

Think this one's still in here.

Yeah.

Charlie, you gonna be
able to pull this one out?

Yeah, we'll get it.

Lieutenant. Yeah.

You might wanna look at
the floor before we scrape it.

We got some blood
evidence in there.

But Dayton died over here.

What's blood
doing in the kitchen?

This the only place?

No, there's some
more by the rear door.

He must have gone out that way.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Where's the slug that
came through this door?

You got me. We have a clean
hole, obvious entry and exit,

then the bullet got lost.

What do you mean got
lost? Bullets don't get lost.

Maybe it spent and fell.

No, we checked the entire floor.

Then there must have
been a third person.

Someone was here, got
hit, and got out with our bullet.

We got ourselves a witness.

Better. We've got a
witness with a bullet in him.

Could've been somebody
who worked for him.

Could be. Or somebody who's
got an appointment on this calendar.

WOMAN: Jeff? Jeff, you home?

I'm home.

Oliver Lake was here.

The young boy that you
were supposed to tutor at 1:15?

So I blew 10 bucks.

Well, that's a great attitude.

That's really great.

I'm going to the market.

Uh-huh.

Uh, did you cash
a check yesterday?

What?

I said, did you cash a...?

I'll be at the store.

( solemn theme playing )

Jeff, would you
come out, please?

I'll see you when you get back.

I think we'd better talk.

Not now.

Now.

It's just too much money, Jeff.

And for too long a time.

Alice.

Later, okay? Later.

( sobbing ): Jeff, if it's someone
else, then tell me. You have to...

What happened?

I'm not sure what happened.

There's a bullet in my shoulder.

A bull...?

I'll get Phil.

No!

Doctors have to report
gunshot wounds, Alice.

But you need medical attention.

You can't live with a...

A bullet in your shoulder.

Well, I'll just have to try.

( mysterious theme playing )

"Phillips, uh... Phillips..."

What does that say?
"Phillips, Williams, Borrman."

Phillips, Williams and
Borrman, huh? Good.

How about the blood?

Well, the blood scrapings
from the kitchen floor

are type AB.

Well, is that common
or uncommon, what?

Rare. Four percent
of the population.

Four percent.

Charlie, what about
the bullet they dug out

of the wall in the study?

Yeah, what about that?

.38, police positive.

We ran it against Dayton's
gun and got a match.

One cartridge fired.

Dayton shot once,
the killer shot twice.

The witness's blood is AB. Good.

Let's run this type
against the three names.

Looks like a cop
found a way to zap

the policeman's pension fund.

That's not funny, Johnson.

You know what the papers
and TV would do with that?

I'm sorry, Mike.
It's just not funny.

Now, we got three names,

one blood type
against three possibles.

That's Phillips.

We'll let Healy and
Lessing take him.

Then there's Borrman
and, um... Who's that?

Williams. Williams.
Borrman and Williams.

We'll take those two.

You think we're
really on solid ground

with this Dayton
blackmail thing?

We gotta be. His books
have him dragging down

over $40,000 last year.

Forty thousand dollars?

Forty thousand
in dribs and drabs.

A hundred dollars a month
here, 200 there, and the topper is...

there's no record of him
paying any income tax.

Hey, Dan, got the
coroner's report?

Being typed. I'll pick
it up in ten minutes.

Let me have what you've
got on Phillips and Williams.

Just looking through
this stuff of Dayton's.

Looks like a cop finally found
a way to make a decent living.

Dan.

It's five minutes to
the coroner's office

and five minutes back.

That's ten minutes.

Okay, Mike.

And on the way,
check at the desk

and find out if any doctor's
called in on gunshot wounds.

Right.

"Phillips. Albert A.

"Conviction of child
molestation, '63.

Did a year at Chino,
probation concluded in '66."

Put Lessing on it. Right.

"Williams. Jeffrey David.

"Murder two.

Conviction, 1943."

MAN: I was just 18 then.

I didn't even have
my driver's license yet.

I was sitting in
the car, waiting.

I heard the shots from
inside the gas station.

Three shots.

Jimmy ran out and jumped
in the car, and we drove off.

Is there any of that
bourbon left, Alice?

I could use something.

Of course, I'll get it.

Well, we sideswiped
another car a few miles away.

A police car took off after us.

Jimmy lost control, we ran
off the road and turned over,

and Jimmy was killed.

I was arrested.

But you had nothing
to do with the shooting.

It would be hard to deny it.

I needed a fix as
badly as Jimmy did.

What?

I was an addict, Alice.

Almost two years then.

Before it was fashionable.

Anyway, the gun
was found in the car

and the money from
the gas station register...

It was an easy conviction.

How long were you in prison?

Four years.

Another eight on probation.

It's hard to
believe all of this.

Well, maybe it shaped me up.

Turned me around, anyway.

I stayed straight, went after
a degree, got my masters.

Then Harley Richards put
his neck on the line for me.

Junkies with felony convictions
are not highly regarded

by college administrators,

but he was determined to
have me in his department,

and being dean of the college,
he kept my records closed,

no one there knew
about my conviction.

I see.

No wonder you were
so upset when he died.

But then, um, this
man, this, uh, Dayton,

when did he first
start calling you?

About six years ago.

Just when it looked like I
was gonna start making it.

Some conjecture
in the college paper

about offering me
a full professorship.

But you didn't accept.

Of course.

Of course. That's why
you never accepted.

Because you were afraid of
what the regents might find out.

But that had nothing to do

with my being too ambitious

or your being afraid
of facing responsibility.

( stirring theme playing )

Oh, darling, I...

I've said such
awful things to you.

I'm so sorry.

No, Alice, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I didn't tell
you a long time ago.

For all the money
that went to Dayton,

only it should have been yours.

All the nice things I
wanted you to have.

It doesn't matter.

It's over now, hm?

All over.

Now we just have
to get you to a doctor.

No. Oh, yes, we do.

Alice, I'm not gonna
throw it all away now.

Maybe later, when
we can get away.

After final exams,
we can go somewhere

and have the bullet taken out.

Later.

You know, Mike, there's
no record of payment

on this guy Borrman.

Last name on the
ledger. Today's date.

Never kicked in any money, huh?

And there's no appointments
with him in Dayton's calendar

up until now either.

I couldn't find
a dirt file on him.

Coroner's report.

Hey, Mike, that stuff I
said before about Day...

Forget it, Dan. Just forget it.

But if by any chance
you're thinking of

moonlighting out of R&I,

just remember that
Dayton got his last payment

in, um, one lump sum.

If the end of that
finger is either .22

or .32 caliber, that'd
make it about right.

Coroner says that Dayton,
uh, was killed instantly,

single gunshot wound.

Apparently, .22 to
.32 caliber bullet.

Though the slug
wasn't recovered,

he figures by the clean exit,

it was a steel jacket.

How much money did
he have on the body?

Five hundred and thirty cash,

another hundred and a
half in a plain envelope.

Time of death?

Between 11:30 and 1:30.

Got a suspect?

Yeah.

Dr. Marvin Borrman.

Spell it out.

Manslaughter, drunk diving,
'59. Did 11 months in probation.

But listen to this, '63,

conspiracy to commit
assault and battery,

Borrman hired a Jerry Casey

to commit assault
on Gordon Dawson,

a man who threatened to
bring malpractice charges.

Number one.

He's our number one.

A guy with a record.

He's due for his first
appointment with a blackmailer,

but he doesn't go in with
cash, he goes in with a gun.

Come on, buddy boy.

We got our first
house call to make.

( clears throat ):
Room 105, please.

( rings )

Doctor?

BORRMAN: Yes.

You're late.

I had a patient
in labor. I'm sorry.

It was a difficult delivery.

Mine wasn't.

Your file's here, and I want
the balance on account.

Meet me in 45 minutes

at the base of the
cross on Twin Peaks.

( buzzes )

Uh, just a minute.

Yes.

Uh, well, uh...

Have them wait outside, please.

Yeah, go ahead.

Problem, doctor?

Do you know any reason
why the police should be here?

No, do you?

Forty-five minutes, doctor.

Yes?

Lieutenant Stone.
This is Inspector Keller.

I believe you knew
a James Dayton.

Um, no, I don't think I do.

Well, that's very strange,

because you had a, uh, 2:00
appointment with him today.

Gentleman, I don't
know what this is about,

but I'm pretty certain
that I can prove

that I was at my hospital

from 10:00 this morning
till just a few moments ago.

And I... I never met this
man, I'm sure. Never.

Well, how about phone calls?

Did he call you to
discuss your prison record?

No.

Dr. Borrman, may I
ask you your blood type?

No, you may not ask
me my blood type.

Would you object to being
examined by a police physician?

Yes, I object very strenuously.

Just as strenuously as I
object to these insinuations.

Now, if I'm a suspect,
I'm entitled to counsel.

Isn't that the truth?

That is the truth, Dr. Borrman.

And, you know, I
think that you were

probably in your hospital
when Dayton was killed.

And I'll tell you
what else I think.

I think that you hired someone
to deal with a blackmailer.

That is not true.

Here, let me throw
that away for you.

Wait, no, that's mine. Give me

I'm sorry, I thought you
were through with it by now.

When can I call my attorney?

As soon as we've got you booked.

Now, you have a
right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be

held against you
in the court of law.

Mike, it's the Capri Motel.
Piece of paper said room 105.

( suspenseful theme playing )

STONE: Can you
describe him for us?

Yes, I'd say he's
about 40, 6'2",

graying hair, nice-looking.

Smith?

Yes, sir. That's the
name on the register.

Phone calls?

No locals.

One long distance.
Kansas City, I think.

Would you have a record of
that call? Possibly the name?

Yes, I certainly do.
The number, anyway.

Shall I get the book?

It would be very helpful.
Thank you, please.

Kansas City newspaper.

Magazines.

Mike, look at this.

Compartment?

Two cartridges fired.

I think we just scored.

Scored? Nah.

We're not even
within field-goal range.

I guess you're
right. Circumstantial.

But if that bullet
matches the gun?

Good as an eyewitness.

I just hope he doesn't
know about our third man.

Because if he does,

there goes our ball game.

He's gonna be looking
for that bullet too.

Get this wrapped up quick.

Call a stakeout
unit. If he shows...

nail him on the spot.

( action theme playing )

KELLER: You see, we
found a full set of his books.

And also, there's $150 in an
envelope in Dayton's pocket.

I have nothing
to say, inspector,

except that I didn't kill him.

I believe that.

But I think you were there,
behind that kitchen door.

Your blood type's AB,
Mr. Williams, it was on your record.

It was also on
the kitchen floor.

STONE: Mr. Williams, we have
the gun that we think killed Dayton.

And that bullet could
tie it all together for us.

I'm sorry, lieutenant.

You know, you can be subpoenaed.

If you have a case.

But you need the
bullet for that, don't you?

Mr. Williams,

I can understand how you feel,

and why you'd like to
keep it quiet and to yourself.

But you do
understand, don't you,

that you could die
with your secret?

What do you mean?

Well, I mean that
Mr. Williams...

The man who shot

Dayton has the
original calendar page.

And if we can find your
husband, so can he.

If he's fool enough
to stay around looking.

I think he'd want to be
as far away as possible,

as quickly as he
could get there.

Well, he's a pro.

And pros aren't in the
habit of leaving loose ends.

And you're a loose end.

It's a very, uh, good
deduction, lieutenant,

but just theory.

Lieutenant, could I just have a
minute alone with my husband?

STONE: I don't have a
minute, Mrs. Williams,

and I don't think your
husband does either.

I don't want the coroner
to give me that bullet.

I want it from him right
now, so come along.

We're going to the hospital.

I don't think so, lieutenant.

You don't have that authority.

You're a policeman,

I shouldn't have
to tell you the law.

The law?

Mm. I did some checking.

And it seems that
among our other

personal guarantees
in this country,

is the guarantee that
our bodies are inviolate.

Not even the Supreme Court
can force a man to submit

to a surgical operation.

That's the law, gentlemen.

And I'm sure that, as
officers sworn to uphold it,

you won't do anything
to make me break it.

( funky theme playing )

Did you get ahold of the DA?

And Judge Carlson. I
got a unanimous verdict.

Williams was right.

The rights of homo corpus,
man's body, are inviolate.

Mike, we can't touch him.

Homo corpus, eh? Great.

No way to break him.

Not the way I read it.

The man we're talking about
has coughed up almost $10,000.

He had to live with this
pressure for almost six years.

Yep, that'd make him
pretty hard, all right.

Yeah, too hard to break

just because he's
got a bullet in his arm.

I guess that makes our
job much easier, doesn't it?

All we've gotta
do is find the killer.

Well, maybe Kansas
City will come through.

Yeah, did you get word yet?

Yeah, the number's listed
to a guy named Sid Winters.

He's a big honcho
in the local rackets.

They're pulling photos on guys

he runs with that
fits our description.

Let me brighten
your day, lieutenant.

Lab says the gun you brought
in could be the murder weapon.

Those two shells
were high-velocity load,

and both bullets did
wear steel jackets.

Terrific. That means the bullet

in Williams' shoulder
could do it for us.

Williams. That's the
second guy on the list, right?

That's right. He took the slug?

Yeah, he took it
right out of the case.

What?

The rights of homo corpus.

You can't cut a man open if
he doesn't want to be cut open.

So, Mr. Sunshine, what else
you got to brighten my day?

How about that? Not much.

I did see the other,
Phillip Philips.

He was there just
like the calendar said,

12:00 sharp. Got
hustled right out.

Apparently, uh, Dayton
liked to keep everybody apart.

Didn't want anybody
to see anybody else.

Kind of like a shrink, you know?

Did you check out
the Phillips story?

He says he went straight
to a business meeting.

Lessing's on it now.

You got this Borrman
in the tank, don't you?

We got nothing
without the bullet.

Borrman won't talk, and
Williams won't talk either.

Oh, lieutenant,
Kansas City just called.

They're sending in a picture.

Coming through, K.C.

Well, that looks like the man
the motel manager described.

Yeah, well, get it under
her nose for a positive.

How you doing, Kansas City?

Good, good. This
is Inspector Keller.

We have some prints we
wanna check against this man.

What's his name?

Coyle, Victor A.

That's C-O-Y-L-E?

Right. Well, could you send
us his full jacket, please?

And maybe run another
one of these through?

Thank you.

We're putting out an APB.

Suspicion of murder.

( suspenseful theme playing )

Mr. Phillips? Yes?

Would you come with me, please?

What for?

Just a few questions.

Police?

That's right.

Anyplace that's private, we...

Oh, this is fine.

Hey, what's going on?

I told you fellas I
didn't see anybody.

Move it.

I haven't seen any ID.

( gun cocks )

Who are you?

Inside.

( gunshot )

( bells ringing melodically )

Seems we're late again.

I apologize for keeping
you past the hour,

but I think the extra review
will reflect itself favorably

in your blue books next week.

See you outside for one minute?

This will only take a minute.

I'd hoped I'd made
myself clear, lieutenant.

I guess I don't use the language
as effectively as I thought.

It's my turn to be
clear, Mr. Williams.

The man that you
won't help us find

just killed somebody else.

First name on the
list. Albert Phillips.

He stripped him to the
waist after he shot him.

Does that tell you anything?

He wants that
bullet, Mr. Williams.

He knows it can convict him.

No.

No? What do you mean no?

Phillips is dead and
you're next on that list.

I can't make a public testimony.

Why, you don't make
sense, you know that?

You don't make any sense at all.

Now, if the lead in that
bullet doesn't kill you,

the next one will because
it's gonna be right on target.

And if I give it to you,
what kind of a target

will I be, lieutenant?

Oh, it's a standoff, gentlemen.

You can't use coercion
by the school authorities,

and you can't
give it to the press.

That'd be harassment, so...

Wait here a moment.

WILLIAMS: Sorry
to keep you waiting.

Let's see, um...

There was really only,
uh, one other thing

I wanted to touch on, I guess.

You, uh... You remember
our discussion of Ezra Pound?

He's a poet.

I know, I know. Sorry.

You were all so
impressed with his erudition,

his, uh... His easy use
of recondite images.

Something like a
Tokyo Rose? Right.

See, I told you I knew.

You marveled at this
contemporary man's

command of the classics.

The prodigious amount of
work, the undeniable genius.

And you all agreed that he was
more than deserving of his rank

as one of the greatest American
poets of the 20th century.

Did you ever read
any of his poetry?

Who has time to
read any of his poetry?

I barely have time
to read booking slips.

And yet this man was denied
that reputation in his own country.

Why?

Mr. Miller.

Some people thought
he was a traitor.

Some people?

Most people, I guess.

No guess, Mr. Miller,
truth. And why?

The propaganda broadcasts he did

for the enemy
during World War II.

Right. An action which
people could not forgive.

And what does this
tell us about people?

Mr. Gerhart?

I don't know.

Well, let me bring it
a little closer to home.

Some of you have, uh,

found enough in this class

to enroll with me for
the American Novel.

But what if you discovered
that I had a criminal record?

It's criminal when you hand
out those low grades, man.

( class laughs )
Well, think about it.

Suppose that at one
time, I had been a junkie.

Pretty heavy fiction.

Let me lay it on
a little heavier.

What if I'd been
involved in a killing

and actually been
found guilty of murder?

Would it still be the
same between us?

Or would you find
yourself saying:

"This man who pleads
for ethical conduct,

"for scrupulous morality,

"who demands that I plumb
the depths of my ability to reason.

"This same man

has been found guilty by society
of having acted without reason?"

Would you, um, say to yourself:

"Why should I listen to him?"

Mr. Miller?

I'd have to think about that.

Yeah.

And what about the regents?

Would they think about it?

Forget it, baby. School's out.

Well, I guess the
point can't be made

any more succinctly than that.

What a man is or does in private

becomes a part
of his public image.

Good or bad, it's on the record.

And whether that's good or bad,

I leave you to think about.

Well, that's it.

Except that it's been a pleasure
having you all this semester.

Good luck on the finals.

( applause )

( gasps )

Maybe we could get
out of here, all right?

Do you understand
a little better now?

Oh, yeah, that routine
about a man's private life

and his public image being
one. I knew that all the time.

But the way those kids
reacted, especially at the end,

that tells me a
lot I didn't know.

That's tradition.

No sir, no way. That's
respect, hard-earned.

Listen, I remember more
than one very long silence

at the end of the semester.

I guess we did get
along rather well.

Hi, Mr. Williams. Hello, John.

That means more to you
than staying alive, doesn't it?

I guess that is
my life, lieutenant.

Digging, probing,

watching them
take hold of an idea

and taking it further than I
knew it could go, loving it.

And loving you for helping.

If you read my file,

you know I went a long
way without any help.

A long way in the
wrong direction.

What I can give now
makes up for that.

( gasps )

Let's get you to a hospital.

No, I'm gonna be all right.

If you'll excuse me,
there's some papers

I have to get out of my office.

Mr. Williams,

there's one thing
you said in your class.

You being someone who
demands ethics and morals

from other people.

Now, how are you
able to equate that

with allowing a
killer to run loose?

From what you've
told me, inspector,

the killer is interested
in only one person now.

Now, if that's true,
and I'm the only one

who stands to be hurt by it,

that's a risk I'm
willing to take.

Okay. If he won't
keep up his guard,

we're gonna have
to do it for him.

Let's get on the box. Tell
them we're staying with him,

and we'll get a stakeout
unit for the house.

( ominous theme playing )

( door opens )

Mrs. Williams.

Get in.

I have your husband,
Mrs. Williams.

If you want to see
him again, alive,

get in.

Alice.

Alice?

( rings )

Hello.

ALICE: Jeff.

Alice, I didn't know
you'd gone out.

I went to the
store, Jeff, and...

MAN: Mr. Williams.

I have your wife.

( melancholy theme playing )

Get an ambulance.

The man called.

The man who shot
Dayton, he's got my wife.

What did he tell you
to do, Mr. Williams?

Downtown. Corner
of Jones and Geary.

I stand on the
corner. Seven o'clock.

He's got Alice.

Tell me this.

Did you see a man at Dayton's?

Can you describe him?

Six-two, 40? Graying hair?

He said he'd kill her.

Don't worry, we'll
take care of it for you.

Please, be very careful.

We will, Mr. Williams. We will.

But do you give the
doctor permission

to take the bullet out?

( suspenseful theme playing )

Stay to the right, and slow.

Is that him?

I can't tell.

If it is your husband, stop.
If it isn't, just keep going.

MAN: Is it him?

Yes, that's Jeff.

Get in.

You all right, Alice?

Fine.

How's the shoulder?

It hurts.

Turn right on Geary and
go straight, Mrs. Williams.

Mr. Williams, sit forward.

Go. Go!

LEE: Subject vehicle
proceeding west on Geary.

Do not intercept.

Do not apprehend.

Alert Inspectors 63,
68, Helicopter One.

MAN: Subject vehicle
proceeding west on Geary.

( tense theme playing )

Straight ahead to Point
Lobos, Mrs. Williams.

Pick it up.

( tracker beeping rapidly )

He's moving pretty good now.

Heading out to Lobos.

Yeah. Put it on the box.

Subject vehicle proceeding
west on Point Lobos Avenue.

When you come
to the next turnoff,

take it. Cut the lights.

Where are we going?

Down the next side
road, Mr. Williams.

Lee, get back on that thing,
find out what the chopper's got.

This is 81. We've lost contact.

Subject vehicle just,
uh, doused his lights

and turned right on
next side road west.

I can't see.

You don't have to.
We're almost there.

Look, what you wanted was
a bullet. That's why I'm here.

Now, there's no need
to involve my wife...

You're not a well
man, Mr. Williams.

Don't talk.

Pull up here. Just to the right.

Out. This side. Both of you.

Right on out to the dock.

They're in the open. Let it go.

This is 81. Have
the helicopter hit it.

Coyle!

Well...

I guess we're out of the
woods, Mrs. Williams.

Say, uh,

I think your husband's
just getting out

of surgery about now.

Mrs. Williams, we
have a radio in the car

if you want to find
out his condition.

Hey, where are you going?

Be right back.

Okay, what's the big mystery?

Mike, how long have
you been a detective?

Oh, very funny.

Well, now, buddy boy,

you've been with me
long enough to know

that I work one of two ways.

Right? Right.

Clues or muscle.
Take your choice.

All right, all right.

We're going over to the
Williams' house for dinner.

Right? Right.

After dinner, we'll be sipping
our brandy, congratulating him

on how the regents decided
to keep him on, right?

We'll be celebrating a
man's whole new life.

Exactly.

But since when do you
buy brandy in a bookstore?

No, no, no. I'm thinking
about after the brandy.

After the brandy?

Yeah.

I don't pick up that clue.

I bought you a little present.

What is it?

Open it.

Poems? Poetry?

It's Ezra Pound.

Remember Williams talking
about him at the school?

Yeah, I remember, he
talked to his class about him.

That's right.

That's for you.

What?

Oh, now, wait a
minute. I can't read this.

Why not?

Listen.

"Raineth drop
and staineth slop,"

Oh, come on now.

Wait a minute. What?

Yeah. "Raineth drop
and staineth slop,"

"Skiddeth bus and
sloppeth us" Now, come on.

Isn't poetry supposed to
be clear and to the point?

That's right.

Well, I've got
something to the point

and clear for you, young fella.

What is thi...?

Sit quietly.

You have a right to
remain silent. Is that clear?

That's clear.

Anything you say
can and will be used

against you in a court of law.

Is that to the point?

That's to the point.

All right, then get going.

( upbeat jazz theme playing )