Original subtitles

Hello, I'm calling from the Trib. I'd like to confirm a quote. How much money

was involved?

Was it over $1 ,000?

Was it over $10 ,000?

Yes, of course.

Fred, do you mind?

You're making a mess.

No, I'm just zeroing in just a couple of more.

Sure. Hey, how about another drink for the road?

There's a law, you know.

What law?

Oh, take a cab.

I think there's a law about you riding in a cab.

Will you listen to this? I am so bored. I spent the last hour watching Matt

MacGyver come on to Billy.

Do you care to join me?

Hey,

Lou.

Hi, Billy.

Mac. What was that all about?

Victory celebration.

That was Red Tash.

Big league pitcher. The Dodgers eat him up.

Then how come he's 14 and 5 lifetime against the Dodgers?

Oh, you didn't know that, did you, Mac? She takes his sporting news.

Hey, isn't Tash supposed to go against the Dodgers tomorrow?

He's getting loosened up. The only way the Dodgers will beat him.

Oops, I just remembered. I got to call my service.

Good -looking kid.

Personable. Are you an art in -depth study?

Every time I look up, you're staring at us.

I didn't think you'd notice. You seem so, you know, involved.

Mac is giving me investment counseling.

We can all use a little investment counseling.

That's what they teach you in journalism school, buddy up to a high -ranking

member of the financial section.

I heard that folklore, too.

If they're so smart, how come they're still working for a newspaper?

Kingsley. Didn't wake you, did I? Who has time to sleep?

Listen, who's going against the Dodgers tomorrow?

Your paper says Red Tash.

He's not injured or anything, is he? There's no chance he could miss his

I haven't heard of it.

Okay, if it's Tash, put me down for a thousand on the Dodgers.

Mac, you know what you're into the book for already?

Kingsley, I'm good for it.

You go on the track.

What track?

Oh, what track's open? Ocean Park.

We're just going downtown.

Well, okay, that'll help some.

Gee, if that wasn't going to work, I could have dropped you off at the

gate. Don't worry about it.

You can go now, Dupree.

You know, the way you drive makes it awful hard to read.

A lot of people tell me that.

You want me to split the cost of gas with you?

You know, I'm not some bum hitching a ride.

You people out here haven't got the world's greatest transit system, you

I heard.

Why do you think I picked you up?

If we don't have the world's greatest transit system, I feel guilty as hell

about it.

Hey, you're pretty funny.

What do you do?

Newspaper man. I work at the Trib.

The Tribune?

Oh, you've got that Ben Andrews working for you.

How come we got a toad like that writing about racing?

All he ever does is kiss the track's tomato.

Maybe you'd be interested in doing a column for us.

Writing? No.

I move around too much.

We're going from track to track following the ponies for 30 years.

I got ballsy.

Handicapping.

It's an art, right?

It's a religion.

Come on. Come on.

Let's get this moving.

You all know about... Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Look, you all know about the

Turner Landis, the initiative.

Come down. Animal. Come up.

Sure. Proposition 2, Turner Landis.

Legalized gambling statewide.

Lotteries, casinos, off -track betting.

Go to the head of the class.

Now, if I may have your complete attention.

Adam, what we would like from financial is a gambling as an industry story. The

stock issues, how they're doing.

It's a big issue in London now. They just closed down three casinos for

improprieties.

Improprieties. Don't you just love the way the English phrase it?

I was there during the war. They referred to it as the unpleasantness.

That's great. Now you get into it.

Here's a list of people we got doing pieces for us on what's happening with

lotteries in the individual states.

You should get some feedback on that pretty soon.

Good. Listen, Eddie, what I would like to see from sports is a complete picture

of the betting.

You know, I'm pro in college, football, basketball, point spreads, the whole

bit.

Belly, see if you can get a response from the governor. Try the mayor, too.

Will do. I'm also trying to get an in -depth interview with Landis himself.

I talked to Landis once.

May not be in -depth, but it'll certainly be at length.

Charlie, I want Rossi on at the track.

Charlie, the track is our beat. It belongs to sports.

I got Ben Andrews out there every day.

Well, this is investigative. I don't want your handicapper on it.

The word is, he kisses the track's tomato.

Let me put Mike Kessler on it, then.

Lou wants Rossi on this, and I think it's a good idea.

Animal, get out your man in the street kit. Get the pros and cons on the

initiative, and why.

Gotcha. Okay, we've got some time on us. We have no deadline, so any one of you

can be prepared that I'm going to be pulling you off for a breaking story.

Meanwhile... Charlie, what's our editorial stance here?

Tribune for or against legalized gambling in casinos, off -track betting,

all that? Well, first let me check out false ownership of horses.

All right, see what you can come up with on holding back horses while they're

getting them in shape.

Yeah, schooling, that's a good angle. Well, you do know the word is that

California tracks run the up -and -up well -supervised.

And I hope that's what you find out.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

I was thinking maybe you could help us. You have been Tribune's in -house bookie

for as long as I have been here.

Probably 17 years.

No kidding.

Anyway, with this Turn -A -Lantis initiative, we're doing a round -up

gambling. So I thought I'd go to the horse's mouth.

I don't know anything about gambling.

I'm just a bookie.

I just want to ask something personal.

How come you don't have any competition?

At least I have never seen any other book on the premises. Now, why is that?

I must do nice work.

Have any of the employees ever gotten into the book for a sizeable chunk?

Oh, sure.

What happens if they can't pay off?

It never happened.

Hypothetically, if it did.

We'd work something out.

I'll see you, Johnny.

You've got to be kidding.

No, it's true. I never bet on anything.

Never? Never? I bet you, Nickel, I can hold my breath longer than you.

I bet you can't say that three times fast. I just never got into that stuff.

Don't ask me why, but now that I'm doing this story, I feel like an idiot not

knowing anything about gambling.

Okay, what do you need to know?

Oh, okay.

What is line, spread, and please?

What is vigorous?

Sounds like something you'd put on meatloaf.

You never heard of Vigorous?

Really?

Okay, it's the bookie's fee.

The way Kingsley works it, you place a $100 bet with him, you lose, and you pay

him $110, $115.

I get it.

He's the middleman.

Right.

Okay, that's good.

Now, tell me about line and spread.

Kingsley!

I've got a student for you. Oh?

Would you explain a few things to this young man about some of the terminology

and nomenclature of wagering?

I'd be glad to.

Look at this.

Rams are nine -point favorites over the Eagles.

Yeah, I thought they were only seven.

It changed right before deadline.

Smith's out with a knee injury.

Gentlemen, you're missing my point.

Seems to me our paper is a little better than a tout.

I don't know.

I think of the spread as being consumer information.

With tickets going for 8, 10, and 12 bucks, the sports fan doesn't want to

his good money being wasted on a bad game.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I didn't realize we were consumer advocates.

Miss Benchon, there's a lot of sports loyalty in this town. The Rams, Lakers,

UCLA, USC.

I mean, with this kind of information, the fans can demonstrate their faith in

their teams without losing their shirts.

I mean, they bet their team, even knowing that the team isn't always going

win. Oh, I see.

So by running the odds and the spreads, we're not only consumer advocates, but

we're contributing to the esprit de corps of our local fans. That's lovely.

Mr. Talbot, please take today's sports section and mark every item that might

of use to the bookies, the bettors, the touts, and the oddsmakers.

That has to be every item here.

I think there is a subtle difference between reporting the news and being a

research assistant for a tout.

Let's just see if you can puzzle it out.

All right. Now, will somebody please tell me about this Turner -Lambis

initiative?

Now, what is it they're all saying about revenue from gambling paying up to 5 %

of the state's budget and that it's all going directly to the schools?

My understanding is that revenues from legalized gambling went closer to 2%,

5%. You're talking about states with off -track betting and lotteries. Throw in

the casinos and it all adds up.

A lot of other things add up as well.

What about the rise in the crime rate?

When you glamorize gambling, the girls, the floor shows, the Taj Mahal

atmosphere, then you are being very seductive.

Question is...

Do we want to get into a crusade against gambling?

Well, not with that kind of thing in our sports section. I don't want to be

accused of being hypocritical.

Take my word for it. There's a deep underlying psychological need to gamble.

Not me. I don't have it.

How long did Tag blast after last night?

He's still in.

Bottom of the ninth. Tash has only given up three hits.

Tash is working his usual magic on the Dodgers. His uniform is soaking wet.

Looks like he just ran through a car wash.

Okay. Tash takes off the sign. The nods. Throw.

Ball strike.

Flider caught in the inside corner.

Full count.

He's picking the plate to piece him.

Here it comes. The breaking ball. A swing and a miss. It's all over. Red

has done it again. Blanks the Dodgers. Six to nothing on three hits.

Shows you.

Watch your diet, jog, think positive, and drink plenty of liquids.

Hey, listen, Kingsley, this is Mac.

Can you believe that, Tash?

Yeah.

Dodgers should have jumped on him real early when he was shaky.

Walked two in the first inning.

Hey, listen, I thought I'd give you a call. We gave you a trip.

I'm not going to be able to pay off tonight.

I'm holding 600 shares of Colonial and Western, but I don't want to sell them

out before Friday. That could mean a difference of $5 ,000 to me.

There's no big rush.

I'm not going to come down on you, Mac.

Okay?

I'll go for Friday.

But don't you put me in a spot.

I'm answerable to other people.

Friday is the deadline.

You're a newspaper man.

You know what a deadline is.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

I have a breakfast meeting with the racing board in 15 minutes, but we can

till then. I'll take what I can get.

Why are you proposing that we establish gambling in California?

Ms. Newman, we've always had gambling in California.

My initiative proposes that we take the gambling out of the hands of private

exploiters and underworld elements and let society reap some of the benefits.

It's been very successful in many places.

Japan, Syria, Belgium, Egypt.

Even New Hampshire? Yes, but in those cases, wasn't it limited to lotteries

horse racing? Your proposition includes casinos.

Gambling is gambling. I don't make any hypocritical distinctions.

I say let's make economic sense of it.

A government study shows a sharp rise in street crime and prostitution when

there's casino gambling.

Prostitutes move from one location to another. That doesn't mean that there's

any increase in prostitution, correct?

I see.

What about the charge that when you legalize it, more people start gambling?

With Turner Landis, a man is free to gamble or not to gamble. Now, big

government is not here to tell you or me what we can or can't do.

I'm proposing a painless form of taxation, more money for education,

health. I have a quote from Reverend Sloan, who opposes your initiative. He

that if you put a tax on the sale of heroin, a dope dealer could make the

argument.

Well, you ask your Reverend Sloan.

If Turner Landis is so evil, how come we got 200 ,000 of our good citizens to

sign our petition in less than 14 days?

Hey, there's my old buddy.

How are you, Mort?

How'd you do at the track?

Even Steven.

Oh, that's a pretty good day's work. Well, I got some grease, so I don't pay

admission. I don't buy that $2 hot dogs, and I didn't bet on any races.

I got a 50 -50 chance to break it even.

Good, good.

The form's here.

Oh.

Kids, you come in there and look at that.

Yeah, and old men.

Is this all?

I'm sorry, I didn't need any more.

Coffee?

Lamp top?

Paul. 581.

Five or six.

You got a penny?

I got a penny.

Thanks, Mark.

Don't bother about it.

Let me ask you. Are you serious about not making a bet today?

One day in five, one day in six, I go to the track.

I don't see anything, I take a walk.

So there goes your day.

What do you think? I'm at the track. I got to make a bet.

What? To be polite?

Not to hurt the horse's feelings?

All right, tell me. What do you do you can't do at home?

Watching the tube or reading a tribune?

I go to the track like I always do. To study, to learn.

Oh, yesterday I had a spot in the fifth race.

Longest day.

The price was all right.

I went to look at the horse, and I don't like what I see.

Something tells me.

Then he ran out of the money.

You understand?

No, no, no, he went.

A month and a half.

But these things happen.

And now what do you do?

The only race you wanted to bet is over.

You come home and stay out there, what?

What's the matter with you? Don't you listen? I just told you.

Study and learn.

Sorry, teach.

So, what did you learn?

Well, I'm watching, learning, making mental notes.

I spot something.

Comes over me.

I see some kind of a sting.

Some kind of a scam.

But I think I got it figured.

Scam? What kind of scam? Tell me.

You want the facts?

Yes. Well, you go to the laboratory. You study and learn.

Put in your time.

Okay, Mort.

You got a point.

This is where you live?

Well, until the 26th. Then I go back east.

Hey, I owe you a penny.

Don't worry about it. Easy come, easy go.

Hey, I'm a little down.

It's nothing. I'll get over it.

You want to cancel tonight?

It's okay.

Nope. I think maybe you want to see my gloomy side.

Listen, if there's something you don't want to talk about... It's family. Why

should I bore you?

Bore me?

Well, my mother.

She's got to have $7 ,500 now.

Right now, like yesterday.

What for?

Balloon payment on her house.

She could refinance, but that would pop her interest rate up 2%. I just got

busy. I should have checked the documents.

Doesn't she have any money at all?

She has some.

I'm letting her have $3 ,500.

She'll be short $2 ,000.

My old buddy Clark Bryant is into me for double that, but he's having a cash

flow problem.

So you need $2 ,000?

Yeah, I just need to borrow money.

And the bank checks back with the paper.

And how long would you need it for?

Two weeks, three.

Hey, come on, don't you worry. It's my problem.

I could let you have it for a couple of weeks.

It's my nest egg, but... Lee, I so like you.

Which is why I don't want you to do it.

Oh, first let me see what Clark can do.

Hey,

it's nice to know you're there.

Hey, what are friends for?

Again, John, please explain it to me, but I got some questions on this point

spread thing.

Look, it's simple.

Let's say Notre Dame is playing East Idaho Teachers College.

Now, that's no contest. Nobody's going to bet that.

But the book says spread, even money, Notre Dame wins by 100 points.

So I bet East Idaho they lose 96 zips, so I win. All right, I got that. But now

what if they lose 107 to 7? I didn't make the spread, right? No, that's push.

Push.

The first race coming up.

Maybe. I don't know.

The best is coming around.

Mr. Merriam, the trainer, is going to be schooling this filly.

Dobie's dream. When he does, I'll get my shot.

Yeah. You mean once around the track, nice and easy, right? Yeah. Not trying

win or anything.

I'll go wide.

Mr. Merriam figures I can't get in any trouble. And then me and Dobie's dream,

we get a real race under our belt.

The trainer tells you that? I mean, take it easy, don't try to win?

Well, not exactly like that.

He lets you know. Like he'll say, don't abuse the horse.

I know what all that stuff means.

And people will be betting Dobie's dream.

Some, I guess.

They don't know what they're doing.

Have I got this schooling bit right?

You're making it sound too complicated. It's just a warm -up race.

The horse isn't putting out 100%, but the people who bet on him don't know it,

right?

Something like that, yeah.

Crooked is complicated.

Don't say it isn't.

Hey, what's the matter with you?

Sorry.

Come on, what's the problem?

It's nothing.

Look, I'm not crying with a little honest concern.

All right.

What would you do? Tell me.

I got this old friend, okay? What's her name?

Mary Smith.

Have I met her?

I don't think so.

Why not? Sounds cute.

Okay, forget Mary Smith.

I have this friend, who shall remain nameless, who's having a cash flow

problem. How much?

$2 ,000.

You mean you have $2 ,000 to lend this person?

How can you save $2 ,000 on what we make? I mean, I make more than you, I

and I can never save anything.

Nevertheless, my friend wants to borrow the money.

It's only for two weeks.

It usually is. Two weeks. They're open.

And what are friends for?

Friends?

Friends are wonderful.

You don't possess them, they don't possess you.

So why ruin wonderful relationships with people by lending them money and

finding out they're dead people?

Rocky?

Thank you.

You helped me make up my mind.

You're going to lend her the money, aren't you? Or him.

Sure. Hey, anytime I can be of service.

Listen,

any piece of information we put on the sports page is an excuse for someone to

make a bet.

Let's say a hockey team is due to arrive in town at 4 p .m. Well, you can bet

that someone is laying odds that the plane will be late.

There's no way the sports can report legitimate news without a gambler

it to use.

If a star halfback pulls a groin muscle, what are you going to do?

Gentlemen, please continue to report every groin injury and late arrival

fear of my displeasure.

That's great.

But I am still uncomfortable with the idea that we're running a service for

oddsmakers and the bookies and the touts.

So let's drop the spread.

Oh, Mrs.

Pinchot. I don't know what you're asking for.

It'll be the only paper in town not running those figures. It's the only

a lot of people buy newspapers.

It's gonna cost a circulation.

Huh.

She is just killing us.

Tell you one thing.

Tomorrow's home edition doesn't carry the point spread.

We're gonna get 500 irate phone calls.

More like three.

I think it'll be closer to a thousand.

Buck says it's closer to three. You're on.

You listening, McIver?

If we catch you down there one more time, you're going to end up in one of

machines. Your next page one story is going to be printed on your face.

Lou?

Hello, Ken.

Hello.

Ken, I'm not too fond of people trying to intimidate my staff.

Yeah, well, I'm not crazy about con artists hustling my boys, Lou.

What are you talking about?

Some of the guys in the press room pool their money, and McIver is supposedly

investing it for them.

Investing? No, no, no, no, no. Our policy against that is very clear.

I'm not worried about the policy, Lou.

I just want to make sure my guys don't lose their shirts investing in the Save

Mac McIver's Neck Fund.

What's that supposed to mean?

Lou, I happen to know he's into the book for a big chunk.

In fact, I was thinking of going to Charlie.

Before you do, let me check it.

Fine, fine, Lou. I hate being involved.

But I can see trouble coming.

If McIver don't clean up his act, somebody's going to get their lumps,

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

What do you do?

I'm a teacher.

How do you feel about the Turner -Landis initiative?

Well, I teach in a classroom with 35 to 40 kids in it. Nobody can handle that.

And the classes are getting bigger.

You think Turner -Landis will help that?

Well, all I know is that people have been voting down school bondage for the

last 20 years.

You know, I don't like gambling.

But Turner Landis seems to be one way to get people to vote for good schools

without knowing about it.

Thank you. You're welcome.

319 out of 5, 181.

Lou, are you friends with Mort, the horse genius?

Mort? Sure.

Take him this, will you? He's sick.

Do you know where he lives?

Sure. Does he pay for it?

Don't you worry about it.

And Lou, give him this.

Okay, Rosa.

Bye.

Doc?

How old are you?

78.

I know how to take care of myself.

I got a three -year -old running in the fifth race Wednesday.

Heal thyself.

Don't bet on it.

Listen, let me give it to you straight. You ought to be in the hospital.

Hospital? Are you off your rocker?

What are you going to do in the hospital with me? Cut something out?

Listen to the man, will you?

I'm not going to go to any hospital. I can't afford it.

What about insurance?

Is he kidding?

Well, there's Medi -Cal or Medicaid.

I don't pay taxes. I haven't got any Social Security.

I don't exist in anybody's books.

I might be able to get you into a ward at the county as an indigent.

Doc, how bad is it?

He just wants to know the odds.

You're this close to pneumonia, and you're no condition to take care of

yourself. All right, I'll stay in bed.

If I want anything, I'll call Rosa.

I'll be all right.

Lou, can you fill this?

Follow the instructions.

Okay, Doc, okay, but don't be so positive. You're still a young man.

I'll be back tomorrow night, same time.

Follow my instructions.

Six to one, you'll still be alive.

See you, Lou.

Thanks, Doc.

What are you doing?

Get back in bed.

Come on, Mark.

Come on. Stop horsing around.

Look.

A little thanks and all that. You're a good Sam.

Well, just get that prescription filled and mind your own business.

Lie still like the doctor told you.

Sugar puffs.

Huh?

Get the sugar puffs in the cupboard. The sugar puffs.

The cereal sugar puffs.

Go into the closet.

The brown shoes and the overcoats. Bring them to me. I'm sure you're not

delirious. Do what you're told.

You want your stuffed owl and your security blanket and your leather

from Wensaki High?

The Bible.

The Bible. It's over there behind the telly.

Well, I got no choice.

I got to trust you.

I know I'm not going to make it.

What do you mean you're not going to make it?

There's a track tomorrow.

What do you think I meant?

Tomorrow's the day.

I've been talking that scam for two weeks.

Tomorrow's payday.

$500.

$500.

$500.

And you can't afford a hospital.

You don't understand. That's betting money.

Do you know from across the board?

Win, place, and show.

That's what I refer to in my notes.

500, 500, 500.

Win, place, and show on Vespi in the seventh.

1 ,500 across the board on Vespi. That's right. And track odds. Now, can you do

it?

Well, you make everything so easy.

I guess.

Don't guess.

Track odds.

You hear?

Get somebody to run it out.

It's going to go off at 40 to 1.

40 to 1?

More, what's a scam? You want to tell me?

Well, my conclusion is just a setup.

The fix is in, and when that happens, the fewer people that know about it, the

better.

Lou, you've done a lot of things for me that nobody else has ever done.

And I appreciate it.

But you've got to listen to me.

Promise me something.

What? You bet everything you've got, hop your house and your car and your

mother, and put it all on Vespri and a seven. It's a big payday.

You are held in high esteem by lots of people. The bank cashed your check like

that. Just shows if you're courteous, clean your fingernails, make your

on time. I'll have it all back to you, not later than the 26th. I'll square up,

really. It's okay. I know you'll get it back.

Why don't you let me finish this and we can go have a cup of coffee? Great.

I'll be right back. Do one in the same minute.

Maybe Charlie should be here for this, but I'd like to keep him out of it,

seeing as how he was the one who got you this job.

Well, our family sort of knew each other.

Anyway, before I got him involved, I thought I'd check it with you first.

What about?

Some of the guys in the composing realm have pooled their resources like a

little mutual fund.

And you've been handling it.

I'm doing them a favor.

Oh, Lou, that's chicken feed.

I'm not getting anything out of it. There are no commissions or anything

that. How much is chicken feed?

A little over $6 ,500.

You know what the policy of the paper is?

Nobody on the financial side ever uses any information to tout the employee.

Ever.

All that was spelled out to you before you took the job.

Hey, Lou, maybe I made a mistake in judgment, but I didn't go to them. They

to me.

Maybe I wanted to be loved, you know. One of the guys.

I suppose I shouldn't have done it.

Mac, if you have any money, any stocks, bonds, or loose chains that belongs to

an employee of this paper, get it back to him. Now, understand?

Well, Lou, it's as good as done. You're absolutely right.

Okay?

Okay.

I just got through talking to the switchboard operator.

They've counted 327 complaints that we're not running the football spreads

anymore, plus another 200 that went directly to sport.

327 and 200.

I'm going to win if there aren't any more. Whose dumb idea was it to stop

running the spread?

That was Mrs.

Pinchon's dumb idea.

In other words...

It was a good dumb idea.

Kinkley? Did you get it down for me?

That's all I'm taking care of.

The track art.

It was better to track. I got a sandwich boy there for emergency.

Thanks. That really helps me out.

You can do me a favor sometime.

If I can.

Listen.

Can I get a bet down myself?

Let's be sure.

But the...

Book pays 20 to 1 top odds, not like the 40 I got you at the track. You

understand that?

I'm agreeing.

How much do you want to put down?

Two. Two hundred?

No.

Two bucks.

Oh, what the hell?

Five.

Bucks.

why he was in such a hurry?

There's a manufacturer's convention in Anaheim. Oh, he went. Sit down. Let me

wait. Yeah.

So, are you, uh, are you seeing Mike Mack?

Some. He's a nice kid.

Kid. He's a grown man.

Just that I've known him so long. See, Marion lived next door to his mother's

family.

Um, iced coffee.

Uh, two, please.

Where was that?

What? Oh.

It was in Southampton, Long Island.

Ritchie? Yeah.

It's too Ritchie for my blood.

When Marion and I got married, we moved to Yonkers.

Just plain folks.

And the Carvers, did they have money?

You kidding?

Loaded. Mac didn't tell you?

Maybe he just wanted to see if you'll love him for himself.

Maybe.

I really didn't mean that. I mean, Mac is on his own.

I think right after college, he kind of took the family fortune for granted, but

then his mother, as the saying goes, turned the spigot off.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

Knock on fourth place. Biggers.

You had the horse and you forgot to bet him.

No, I went whole hog.

Five bucks.

It's a show.

Oh, yes, I play the numbers.

Been playing this one number now going on 12 years.

$25 ,000 today. And can't stop that.

I stop playing that number and it's going to come out on the money.

And you think it's all right to gamble? Are you going to vote to make it legal?

Oh, no.

Gambling's like spanking a cat.

If you're in control of it, then it's all right.

But I can't commend it to everybody.

Because it's bound to fall into the wrong hands every time.

I play my number.

I can't stop it.

But I vote no gambling.

It comes out of the bread money.

Boy, am I glad to get rid of this. Was I nervous carrying it around.

$35 ,050.

Sub it back in your cereal box.

Handle bigger chunks than this.

A bigger scam?

How much did you get down?

Okay.

I made out okay.

How much okay?

Five. Five thousand?

Five bucks.

Five bucks?

Whoa.

Forty to one, that's two hundred dollars.

To show.

To show.

Well, let me see. That's in the neighborhood of...

$23 .25.

You really laid it to him. The mad plunger.

I told you to hock your house, hock your car.

Yeah, but why didn't you insist?

Because you don't listen.

How many times do you think something like this happens?

How many times?

Not very often.

Horses are honest.

The owners, trainers, and jockeys, I don't trust.

You knew the race was fixed.

How? Well, what's this game? I want to know.

If I'll tell you, you'll print it, right?

Right. Well, I'm no snitch.

But you knew it.

Somebody must have tipped you.

Ooh, nobody tipped me. I figured it out myself.

That horse wasn't Vespi.

What? No.

It came to me.

Took me a while to figure it out.

But you know, last year, I saw that Vespi run once.

He ran dead last.

Had a funny sort of a gait.

But the point is, the Pimlico Vespi was not the Vespi that ran today.

It was a switch.

Somebody made a switch.

You sure of this?

Am I sure of this?

Lou, who do you think you're talking to?

Let me use your phone. Use the phone.

Somebody had the smarts.

There are too many foolproof ways to ID the horses.

Janice, this is Lou. Get me Rossi.

Who's involved?

Owner? Trainer?

Vet? I figure all of them. When it could be just the owner.

Rossi, yeah.

Listen, there's a horse in the seventh race today called Vespi.

But there's some question as to its identity.

I don't know how they did it. That's what I want you to find out.

Right. Now, before it gets cold, call the stewards at home.

They'll cooperate.

Yeah.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

The horse racing board, he wants to know how we knew so much. They were just

getting ready to close in.

Okay.

Bethby was brought up here from South America with another horse, a world

named Chin Chin.

According to the owner's records, Chin Chin had some kind of accident and was

destroyed. Not only did the insurance company pay off 100 grand, but Chin Chin

is still alive.

What it looks like is...

The horse that was destroyed was the original Vatsby. The horse that ran

yesterday was really Chin Chin.

Stay with it.

What's the horse racing board's attitude?

All photos and videotapes have been impounded. They've got a round -the

guard on the horse. They brought in two out -of -town vets for checking on the

horse this afternoon.

The old MacGyver runs on time.

Just a little doubt you'd get it back, am I right?

It's a vocational disease.

So it makes you a good reporter.

Here's half of what I owe you.

Thank you.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

I knew I shouldn't have borrowed it from you.

Money always gets in the way.

That's not what's gotten in the way.

Why did you have to run that phony story past me?

What story?

Oh, Matt.

The balloon payment story?

Desperate mother, small print in the second trust deed and all that

Why? To give it an added touch of reality?

Your mother doesn't need money and you know it.

Who told you?

What do you mean, who told me? What has that got to do with anything?

I can explain.

I bet you can. Oh, I just bet you can. You're such a wonderful explainer.

You're being unfair.

Why couldn't you just have told me the truth?

That you needed the money to pay off your gambling debts. That you were in

trouble.

Would it have worked?

Probably not.

But at least it would have been.

Look, I was wrong. I admit it.

I got myself into a real corner and I panicked. I just panicked. But now

everything's going to be okay.

Now that you can pay off your bookie.

Yeah. I don't think so.

I think you've got a much bigger problem than what you're into Kingsley for.

When you can use the people that care about you, or thought they cared about

you.

What do you mean, thought?

Now, I'd like your comments on my writing before I turn it over to the

department.

Very nice.

You seem a little tepid. Don't you agree with me?

Oh, I agree with you. I'm against the initiative 100%. Well, then, if you

with me, you are tepid because you don't like my writing.

Well, in some places it lacks a certain clarity.

Here.

This whole section.

A bureaucracy to control gambling will in time certainly become part of the

gambling establishment.

That's a bit formal.

Then, um, why don't I say the government will inevitably climb into bed with the

gamblers? That's definitely less formal.

I like this part, though.

If the people of this state don't have the social will to invest in better

schools... then we should not kid ourselves into thinking that legalized

gambling is a painless form of taxation.

That is damn good. Did you really write that?

I'm flattered.

And insulted.

Ellie. I know, I know. You told me so. Well, forget it, Rashi. That's not what

was going to say.

I, uh, I know about Lou letting Mac go and, uh...

I'm sorry about what happened.

Well, we both let Mac go.

Is that your dinner?

No, it's high tea.

Listen, if you're down, you shouldn't be alone.

You should throw that away and have dinner with someone who'll listen to you

without pushing.

Somebody you've worked with for years.

Someone you don't have to put on a happy face for.

But you lose not doing anything.

Thanks, Rossi.

It's okay.

See you tomorrow.

Hey,

Lou, you know where I can find Kingsley?

I'll be in McKenna's.

Ah, okay.

I'll go down there. If you see him and I've missed him, tell him I'm looking

him.

Before.

Well, I made a score.

Ten bucks on the Dodger game and twelve on the Angels. So I thought I'd press

and get half my roll down.

On the Yankees and White Sox.

Oh. You know, this is fun.

Violating a patient -doctor privilege is one thing. But when it leads to murder,

it's a matter for law and order. Tonight.

Now. Arson can be a deadly business for amateurs on Police Story, next on A &E.