The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 2, Episode 4 - Before I Die - full transcript

( funky jazz theme playing )

ANNOUNCER:

ANNOUNCER:

ANNOUNCER:

( jazzy theme playing )

Joey?

How'd you like to do me a favor?

You kiddin'? You know it.

You, uh, take
care of this for me

till after the trial, okay?

You got it.



Anything else?

Oh, no. Just, uh,
put it in a safe place.

Sully will know where to
pick it up when I want it back.

Don't worry about a thing.

Whenever you're ready,
just ask for it and it's yours.

( suspenseful theme playing )

MAN ( radio ): He's probably
dumping those collection books on Joey.

See if you can pick it up.

We get our hands on those books,

we got him nailed.

I'm gonna have to
reload pretty soon.

Looks like action,
Murray. You getting it?

Yeah, yeah, I got it.

You get that briefcase
he was carrying?



Yeah, I zoomed right in on it.

That's the Academy
Award shot, Dad.

( tires screech )

( tires screech )

He's running, John.

Inspector 73 to headquarters.

I'm operating a stakeout vehicle
and pursuing a felony suspect.

At the moment, I'm heading
south on Third from 20th.

Pursuing a turquoise coupe,

( over radio ): California
license 883-Ida-Nellie-Baker.

Request backup units.

Move it.

( tires screech )
( siren wailing )

( siren wailing )

( tires screech )

( tires screech )

Hold on, Murray.

( tires screech )

( tires screech )

( siren wailing )

( tires screech )

Get away from it!

He's gonna kill himself.

I gotta get him out of there!

You can't, it's gonna blow!
I've gotta get that briefcase!

( grunts )

( car explodes )

No.

No, no.

KELLER: Okay, all right,
so he got some evidence,

but that doesn't
explain all the craziness.

Does for me. Doesn't it for you?

No, not for a guy that's been
working on the job for 32 years.

I mean, I-I wouldn't call it

professional
behavior, that's all.

Know how long he's
working to drop Al Royce?

Mike, I know. A year and a half.

One year and a half
watching a cobra like Royce lie,

buy, threaten his way out
of one charge after another.

You've always told
me, "If it doesn't fit,

it wasn't a good collar."

Wrong.

Dead wrong, buddy boy.

That, uh, bribery thing
with the liquor license?

Yeah.

And the phony pension fund?

And what about last summer?

That shylocking
case they had on him.

Gold plated, wasn't it?

Whatever happened to
that one? What happened?

The witness took a
cab. You figure it out.

No, I'm just saying

that an old harness
bull like John T. Connor,

he's gonna think about what
those things do to people.

How they feel about the
law, how they feel about him.

Mike.

You all set?

Sorry to hang you
up. Had to get an x-ray.

Got a sore rib.

Where you gave him the shoulder.

It was you, huh? Felt
more like Dick Butkus.

I see why you hang
around with him now.

That's it. He's the
brains, I'm just the muscle.

Mind if we push it? I
wanna get to the courthouse.

Hey, muscle, you
heard what the man said.

Let's get him to the courthouse.

Your obvious contempt for
these proceedings, Mr. Royce,

only demonstrates again
how lightly you regard the rules

the rest of us live by.

As a citizen of this
community, every instinct I have

is to let this case go to trial.

But I'm here as a
judge, Mr. Capiello,

and in that capacity,
I have to tell you

that I am no longer
moved by your promises

to present additional evidence.

I hope you suggest
to the district attorney

that in the future,

he waits until he
has the evidence

before he decides to
prosecute this defendant again.

On the motion to
dismiss, granted.

( chattering )

You mean if what
was in that briefcase

hadn't have been burned...?

I don't know.

What happened? I got clobbered.

You heard him.

Look, I know what I heard,

I still wanna know
what happened.

You didn't come through, Connor.

You're all mouth.
You shoot blanks.

What do you want me to tell you?

Listen, you got an indictment.

You didn't get
that on fairy tales.

Who says I didn't?
You? What do you know?

What makes you think you
even begin to know the bells

that go off in this town every
time you do your famous

"I've got Al Royce
dead to rights" number?

Hey, except for the
fact that he did it.

Nobody flaked him, pal.

He's guilty. Now, how
about that for something?

Who's this? Another one
of our merry pranksters

from the police department?

Why don't you
admit it, Capiello?

You blew it. You
couldn't cut it.

You really wanna know?
I'll tell you what happened.

You came up with
enough solid evidence

to get a naughty boy
expelled from school.

Plus a lot of cheap
talk about more.

And your timing, Connor,
your timing's terrific.

Just when everybody's
making noises

about appointing a
special prosecutor,

you walked in saying,
"Hey, look what I've got."

Okay, we took it
to the grand jury,

we did our little tap
dance and here we are.

Now the case looks like a
grandstand play, Connor.

Politics. Maybe you
could've turned it serious,

and maybe I'm a
jerk for believing

that you could do
it, but you didn't.

And that's the last time
I go up against Royce

while some cop is out
there barbecuing my case.

Yeah, well, you
got an indictment.

Ah, come on, John.

He's just a wise guy.

He'll be glad-handing
us like all... Hey.

Hey, hey, you all right?

Yeah, yeah.

( sighs )

Just dizzy, that's all.

Guess that shot I
took this morning

took more out of
me than I thought.

You sure? Yeah, yeah, all right.

( sighs )

Maybe.

Mr. Connor, what you
have is called an aneurysm.

Actually, that's a
kind of a-a little balloon

that sometimes occurs
when the wall of a blood vessel

becomes a little too thin.

A balloon?

( chuckles )

That bad, huh?

Well, it's not good.

( chuckles )

I knew I shouldn't have
come up here for those x-rays.

Well, what do we do about it?

Well, there's an operation.

You know, the trouble is,

your little balloon should have
been taken out a long time ago.

It's, uh... It's quite advanced.

And it happens
to be in-in a part

that is very
difficult to get at.

Well, if you can't
operate, you can't operate.

Well, I didn't say
we couldn't operate.

Just trying to explain the, uh,

risks involved in your case.

You know, I-I showed this x-ray

to two of the very
finest surgeons

in the business, Mr. Connor.

And?

Well, they didn't like the odds.

Well, what else is there?

I'm afraid there's
not a great deal more.

Uh, w...

What are you trying
to tell me, doctor?

( sighs )

The likelihood is

that that little balloon I
was telling you about,

sooner or later, will burst.

And what?

You die from it?

Yeah. Almost at once.

( chuckles ): Oh, dear God.

I... I, uh... Sooner
or later, you said.

Well, it could be,
uh, several months.

Look, the truth is, it could
happen almost any time.

Well, you were talking
about the operation.

Now, I mean, uh...

Well, if you were me,
what would you do?

Would you take it?

Frankly, if it was me...

I think I'd get the most out
of whatever time is left me.

Before I die.

( suspenseful theme playing )

DOCTOR ( memory
): Frankly, if it was me,

I think I'd get the most out of

whatever time is left me.

( turns off engine )

( laughter )

( starts engine )

( tense theme playing )

Hey. How about that, huh?

Come on, sweetheart.

Give me the ticket, will ya?

Sully, you got about two hours.

Go over to the north side,
check out Spots 1 and 3.

See what... CONNOR:
Over here, Al.

( woman screams )

( somber theme playing )

( jazzy theme playing )

Then he gets in his
car and he gets away.

And that's when I look
and see that Sully, uh,

God rest him, had been shot.

Terrible thing.

I told them all this last night.

You can't describe the car? No.

New, old, dark, light? Anything?

Sorry, I can't help
you, lieutenant, uh...

What'd you say your
name was again?

Stone.

Yeah, yeah, Stone, that's right.

Well, like I was saying,
uh, Lieutenant Stone,

I can't tell you a thing,

but I want you to know,

and I want you to tell
the people downtown

that I really appreciate
everything you're trying to do.

We can't have
people taking shots

at our most
influential citizens.

Are you trying to
tell me that this...?

This gunman was
trying to kill me?

Yeah, it crossed my mind.

But not yours? Not
in a million years, no.

Well, just out of curiosity,

you tell me why your
driver was carrying a gun?

Did he do that?

Uh-huh. He had a holster.

Well, I heard they
didn't even find any gun.

Well, did you hear about
the two spent shells?

Two? Well, here I was,

ready to swear the
guy only fired once.

He did.

They were different calibers.

That's what they
mean when they say

eyewitness testimony's
not very reliable.

You know, you have
enemies. Who are they?

Me? I don't have any enemies.

I don't mean people
who hate your guts,

I mean people
who wanna kill you.

As far as I know,
I'm Mr. Lovable.

We'll let you know
if we need you.

Yeah, beautiful, you do that.

I'll count on it.

Did you give them the cop?

I didn't give them anything.

That doesn't mean I
want them running around.

Hey, Al, a cop?
What's the matter?

Cops don't have accidents?

What'd you say your name was?

( chuckles ) You
liked that, didn't you?

Nothing like lettin' us know
what he thinks of us, huh?

I'm not too choked
up about him either.

Lieutenant, professional
detachment, remember?

Yeah, I remember.

I'll tell you, it's strange
when you think about it.

You could argue that
who's ever gunning for Royce

is trying to do us
a public service,

and we're trying to stop him.

Now you know what got John
T. So steamed up the other day.

Yeah. Now, wait a minute.

That's the guy
we ought to talk to.

He'd know if Royce
crossed somebody, right?

No way.

No way? I thought you told me

John T. wrote the book on Royce.

He did. But he's not
here to read it to us.

Where is he?

Had to go to Portland. Some
kind of family emergency.

He didn't leave a number?
No, Shindler said he'd call

the minute he got there. So
far, nobody's heard from him.

( tender theme playing )

( laughs )

( growls ) Ah.

Come on, come on, I got you.

Mm.

Remember Yosemite, Ro?

Yeah. Every minute of it.

I loved that. You know,
that's the best time

I ever had in my life.

Why didn't I know it then, huh?

Um, because it's not
so, that's how come.

( ominous theme playing )

What's the matter, John?

What? Nothing.

All I was saying was that

I had it good and
I didn't know it.

Now, what's wrong with
that? Oh, no, come on.

You're saying that you're sorry.

No, I am not. Or something.

Yes, you are. You
don't owe me anything.

Look, you said,
"Let's get married,"

and I said, "Great idea."

I knew what I was doing.

Yeah, and you knew
what you were doing

when you walked out on me.

That's the smartest
move you ever made.

Is that so?

Yeah, that's so.

Come on.

Don't hold it in. ( chuckles )

Go on, say it.

( chuckles )

You are something else, Ro.

You know, what
I wanna tell you...

You know all the
times that I, uh...

That I didn't show up
and I didn't call you?

You know, that had
nothing to do with you.

Never another woman.

Why?

What do you mean?

Why are you telling me this now?

Oh, I don't know. I
just wanted to tell you.

Listen, I knew there
wasn't another woman.

I knew there was a job and me.

In that order.

I knew that.

( tender theme playing ) Oh.

Tell me.

Tell me, tell me, tell me.

( tense theme playing )

Hey, hey, hey, I
gotta get back to work.

I can't stay... No, come on,

let's go up to my place.

Let's go up. No,
I tell you what.

I'll come by this
evening for dinner,

we'll make an evening of it.

No, let's go now.
No, no, no, I'm...

I got something
I've gotta do first.

Now, you stay right
here and I'll get the car.

I'll go with you.

You stay here.

I'll get the car.
I'll be right back.

( mysterious theme playing )

What's wrong?

( tires screech )

Johnny.

( tires screech )

John. Johnny.

John. The car.

Is the car gone?

Yes. Yes. Are you all right?

Johnny, don't move.

Oh, God.

Oh, God. John.

I'm all right. Take it easy.

I'll call an ambulance.
I'm okay. No.

But you've been hurt.
Don't do anything.

You hear what I said?

I'm okay.

MAN: Uh, let's see.
I've got your name,

address, age, residency.

Now, um, have you
ever committed a felony?

CONNOR: No. Uh-huh.

Any history of mental illness?

No.

That's a beauty, isn't it?

It's one of the most powerful
lightweight weapons made.

How much is this again?

Uh, $300, plus tax.

Yes, fine. Give me
a box of shells too.

( dramatic theme playing )

( church bells ringing )

You have to give Royce credit,

he can really turn
them out in style.

I thought the Mad Russian there

was supposed to have
retired and left town.

And there's Fast Freddie.

The one on the end
there, that's Mammalakis.

Numbers and prostitution.

He and Royce are supposed
to be having some kind of feud.

How bad?

Oh, I don't think anybody
will start shooting,

but you never know,
you know what I mean?

Old John T.'s
gonna get pretty sore

if he finds out a young punk
put Royce away before he could.

Ah, he'll get over
it. ( chuckles )

Be like Ahab finding
out his white whale

got landed by somebody
in a fishing boat.

That's bad. It's
pretty bad, yeah.

( chuckles )

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute,
can you stop that?

Yeah, here.

What did you see? I'm not sure.

Murray, take it back
the other way, will you?

MURRAY: Okay, there you go.

KELLER: Now, keep goin'.

Right there. You
see him in the car?

No, wait, you went too far.
Take it back the other way.

Freeze it. ( mysterious
theme playing )

Right there.

MURRAY: Hey,
what's he doing there?

It's him. It's John T.

Thought you said
he was in Portland.

Somebody in the
family was sick. Is that it?

His sister.

He called me on the phone,
he said he was at the airport.

He had to get
her in the hospital.

Well, then he couldn't be there.

But he is.

Try his number. Yeah.

Pretty good eye, buddy boy.

But right now you
wish I was nearsighted.

I don't know why I
didn't even see him there.

Because you were
staked out on the funeral,

not some car down the block.

He isn't there.

Murray.

( suspenseful theme playing )

Hey.

What's this, a stakeout?

How was Portland?

It's all right for ducks.

I'll take the fog
over the rain...

Come off it, John.

You wanna tell
me that wasn't you

sitting outside the church?

Well, yeah, that was
me. How'd you find out?

Well, it's kind of a
long story, you see.

But the punch line
is I found out about it

along with half the department.

We were filming it, you know.

And later, I'm doing
the blow-by-blow

and pointing out
the celebrities,

and there's my partner.

Just sitting there like
he belonged there.

And I'm standing
in the squad room

with my bare face hanging out,

trying to explain why I
didn't know anything about it.

That's it?

That's what you're
steamed up about?

Yeah, I got a little frosty,

but that's not half of what's
bothering me right now.

You weren't even
gonna tell me, were you?

What's goin' on, John?

Well, maybe you better tell me.

I gotta check with you
before I do anything now?

I came back, I heard
about the funeral

and I swung over
to cover it, that's all.

Come on, man. It's me, remember?

You can do that number
on somebody else's head,

but not on mine, all right?

Now, you went there alone

because you didn't
want me there.

All I'm asking you is, why not?

This doesn't
concern you, Murray.

Doesn't concern me?

Man, I stay alive because
I know what you do,

how you do it and
when you do it.

I can't count on that,
I'm a dead man, John.

Now, you told me that when
I first walked into your office

and took off that blue shirt.

Before we even shook hands.

I think all these years...

buys me a straight answer, John.

I never gave you anything
but a straight answer.

Now, this doesn't concern you.

What, you think I
blew it with Royce?

Did I do something?
Drop the ball? What?

It's got nothing to do with you.

This is something
I gotta do alone.

That's the way
you wanna leave it?

That's the way I'd
like you to leave it.

There's nobody
else I'd buy that from.

You know that.

I'll be downtown.

( laughs ): I can't believe it.

Yeah, you look fine,
Rosemary, just fine.

Oh, Mike.

It's been a long
time. It sure has.

I don't know, you just never get
to see the people you wanna see

and see too much of the
people you don't wanna see.

True.

Besides,

I didn't wanna make
John T. jealous.

That'd be the day.

Have you seen him recently?

You know, don't you, Mike?

I'll be outside if you need me.

All morning, I kept feeling

like I was the only
one that knew that...

STONE: How much did he tell you?

He didn't wanna tell me at all.

I fixed dinner for him.

This was last night?

Yes, it was.

Well, what else
happened last night?

While I was cooking, you know,

he kept laughing
and joking around.

But anybody who
knows him as well as I do

could tell that
it wasn't natural.

And then later, he
started to sha... Shake.

You know, like he was cold.

He cried.

And I held him, told
him that I loved him.

Because he cried.

Because it's human to cry.

And it's human to share.

And that's when he told
me that he was going to die.

Now, wait a minute.

What's all this about dying?

You didn't...?

No, I didn't know.

I shouldn't have told you, Mike.

What's the matter with
him? Why is he going to die?

There's nothing
you can do for him.

Just let him alone,
please, Mike.

All right. It'll be all
right. I'll take you home.

No, I don't wanna go home.

You're sure? Yes,
I feel better here.

Mike, you came here
for some reason. Why?

What was it?

Well, I knew that he's
been acting funny lately.

I couldn't put my fingers on
it, I couldn't understand it, I...

( mysterious theme playing )

Now I think I do.

Oh, yes.

Uh, excuse me,

but I'll keep in
touch with you, Ro.

Johnny.

( jazzy action theme playing )

Hop out. Huh?

Grab a cab back to headquarters.

I don't know who's on
duty, but whoever it is,

tell them I want a 24-hour
surveillance on Royce.

What? I'll fill you in later.

Oh, and listen, pass the word.

If anyone sees John T., tell
them I wanna know about it.

Taxi.

Hello, John.

Oh, hi, Mike. How are you?

What is it, you're moving?

No, I'm just getting these
clothes down to the Goodwill.

You know how
this stuff collects.

What can I do for you?

If it's about this morning, I
already talked with Murray.

I got up there and
my sister wasn't

as bad off as they thought so.

You know, I got a nurse for
her and I shot on back here.

How about you, John?
How are you doin'?

Oh, I'm fine, you
know. No complaints.

Why? What do you mean?

I mean, I just
talked to Rosemary.

She told me you've
got some crazy idea

you think you're dyin'.

Crazy idea, huh?

Uh-huh.

Well, it's a fact,
Mike, and I know it.

What do you know?
Are you a doctor?

I've been to a doctor.

Well, get yourself a specialist.

I've been to specialists.

What do you think I
am, a dummy, Mike?

Look, I appreciate
what you're saying...

but this thing,
no doubt about it.

I'm sorry, John.

You know, it's a funny thing.
When my father died, I remember,

worst part about it was

getting all his stuff
cleared up afterwards.

You know, all the clothes and...

So I just thought I'd
get rid of these and...

And then maybe I'll, uh,

go and take that hunting trip.

You remember, the one I
said I was always gonna take,

and I never did
get around to it.

John.

John, I really came to ask you

about that shooting
the other night.

Royce's bodyguard.

Oh, you on that, huh?

Uh, Butcher Sullivan?

Well, that could
be almost anybody.

I figure the fellow
was after Royce.

Sullivan got in the way.

Yeah, that's possible.

Where were you?

Well, what kind of
a question is that?

A lousy one.

I hate it.

But I'm...

I'm still gonna have to
check the slug from your gun

against the one they
pulled out of Sullivan.

Hey, Mike.

That's right.

All right.

I took a shot at Royce.
So what? He's filth.

He spits on the shield.

If I had time, Mike,

I'd put him away, but I don't.

Somebody else will.

Yeah, but I don't
know that, see?

And I'm not gonna
take the chance.

I'm gonna kill him.

Because the way I figure
it, that's the least I can do.

Now, like, who
has nothing to lose?

Mike, it makes sense.

Come on. All you have to
do is say you didn't find me.

Then I'll do it, I'll
turn myself in to you.

I swear I'll do that.

What do you say?

Don't make me answer that.

Yeah.

It's kind of stupid, isn't it?

You're a good cop, Mike.

( grunts )

( dramatic theme playing )

( tires screech )

( tense theme playing )

Okay, let's say that it's true.

I'm not buying it,
but let's say that it is.

All I'm asking here is,

let's not forget
about who the man is.

I mean, 32 years
in the department.

Now, that should entitle
him to a little consideration.

Nobody likes it any
more than you do, Murray.

Oh, come on, Steve. I
know where you're at.

You're saying he's a rogue cop.

Forget about what might
be going through his mind.

Yeah, yesterday, he
was one of the boys,

one of the old-timers,
one of the best, right?

Today, you can't
wait to crucify him.

Now, I didn't say that.

Well, what are you saying then?
You feelin' sorry for Al Royce?

Well, I'm sorry too, man.

Everybody knows Al Royce
is a victim of his environment.

What do you wanna do? You
wanna issue Connor a hunting license.

Did I miss something, or
was there an announcement

making us executioners,
and John T. Connor gets to fire

the first shot because of his
devoted service or something?

Shh, okay.

Okay, okay, now, okay.

What we've got to do is to
find Royce before Connor does.

And, Murray...

I'm counting on your help.

To save who? Royce or John?

Both.

The best thing any of us can
do for John T. is to find Royce

and get him undercover.

And Connor knows more about
Royce than we do, that's all.

Well, let's get going, huh?

Look, Steve... Murray.

( chuckles ): Murray, forget it.

There are just some things
you can't forget, you know?

I spent 12 years of my
life handcuffed to that guy.

You think he wants
to forget that too?

Maybe what he's doing now,

he doesn't want
to rub off on you.

Come on.

( tense theme playing )

Nobody home.

( car starts )

( starts engine )

( tires screech )

MAN ( over radio ): Suspect
reported leaving the Yacht Harbor

in a two-tone green Mustang.

Inspectors 8-1, 10-4.
Alert all units in the area.

Check, 8-1.

Get out of there, John T.

Okay. He's still looking.

Where would he go
next? Who knows?

All right, check the list again.

St. Francis Barber Shop, zero.

Nickey's Hideaway, zilch.

Zilch.

Continental Baths, nothing.

Betty 'O.

Wonder what that is.

Waterfront Café, zero.

Say, there's a horse
called Betty 'O, isn't there?

I'm sure there is.

Hey, yeah. John
T. told me that once.

Royce is into that.

What, he owns a horse?

Well, it's not
anything big with him,

but it was something.

A piece. That's what he
said. He owns a piece.

This must be the
name he told me.

( tires screech )

Well, come on.

Uh, Betty 'O.

Betty 'O, Bay
Meadows, seventh race.

Come on, move it.

( tires screech )

( siren wailing )

( tense action theme playing )

( crowd chattering )

( man speaking
indistinctly over PA )

Ten-four.

San Mateo Police on the way.

You're looking for Royce, right?

That's the idea.

Uh, guy downstairs said I
can get to the roof this way.

What's going on? Oh,
I'm just looking for a guy.

Thank you.

There's his car, Mike.

MAN ( over PA ):
Ladies and gentlemen,

the results of the
sixth race are official.

The winner, Number
4, Lucky Fellow,

with Jimmy Nukham up,

followed by Number 9, So Long.

The show horse,
Number 6, Riot Red.

Say.

Where do the owners
hang out? Clubhouse.

Or if they got a horse
running, down by the paddock.

Steve, take the paddock.

Say, where's the other fella?

Who? You mean the guy
that just came through here

a couple of minutes ago?

Yeah. What did he look like?

About my age, uh, gray hair.

Which way did you say he
went? He went up to the roof.

That door right up there.

( tense theme playing )

Ladies and gentlemen,

the horses are now
entering the track

for the seventh race.

John.

Don't do it, John.

I gotta do it, Murray.

STONE: John.

( gunshot )

What happened?

Did I get him?

Yeah.

You got him.

( sorrowful theme playing )

I'm sorry, John.

( somber theme playing )

Think I'll ride in
with him. Sure.

Look who takes the limo.

So close.

Did it ever cross your mind...?

What?

Oh, nothing. No, go on.

Go on. No, no, I
was just curious.

Why? Did you think about it?

No, no. He's not
immune, he'll get his.

But what happened back there,

it really didn't have very
much to do with justice.

But had a hell of a lot to
do with the use of power.

A man and his gun.

It just isn't the answer.

Were you tempted?

( tender theme playing )

Buddy boy...

that's between me and John T.

But you know what? What?

What Murray did is
what I'd want you to do

if that had been me.

( funky jazz theme playing )