Original subtitles

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

involved? Was it over $1 ,000?

Was it over $10 ,000?

Do you want to walk with me? I want to get the rest of the people down here to

the meeting. Sure.

I don't know.

We sent out the press release over a week ago.

TV asked for visuals, we gave them visuals.

Looks good.

So exasperating.

One of the other tenants is inside phoning the TV stations.

Meeting starting.

Trying to find out why nobody's shown up for the meeting, the press conference.

Except you.

Well, tenant meetings occur a lot.

Meeting starting.

It takes something pretty special to make condominium coverage seem like

You'll change.

I live down the block.

Besides, I always keep my eye on this building for vacancies. It is a

building. What you're saying is that the disruption in our lives is not news.

Come to the meeting.

It happens all the time.

Aren't the new owners supposed to help you relocate?

Oh, yes.

They found a few apartments out in Reseda.

None of us wants to move out that far.

I don't know if I can sell this story to my editor.

You need an angle, huh?

Well, I'll give you an angle.

Who bought this building?

Who is this KDF Properties that buys an apartment and never comes around to look

at it? Let's see what the tenants are like and how nice we keep the place up.

Or to see if we have acres on the rose bushes, which we don't even have rose

bushes.

Can I get you a cup of coffee? Oh, no, thanks. I really have to get to work.

I know these stories are a dime a dozen, but who are these people that for a 15

% return on their investments will louse up the lives of 46 people?

That's not a story.

It's a good story.

Thanks.

Vern, I've got the last graph of a story to finish. The boat won't sail without

you. These lead shields are being installed for your protection, you know.

sat at that thing for two years now without a shield.

What's it been doing to me?

Probably nothing.

What?

Yeah. What is this? I owe you one more graph. All the VDTs are tied up. This is

garbage. Hey.

I mean, this is gobbledygook.

I don't have to listen to that. Not your writing. I can't read what's here. It's

all scrambled.

These rotten machines.

I hope you kept your notes.

Oh, yeah.

You know, Lou, we should do a story on these VDPs and how management decreed

them into existence without ever consulting with the people who actually

work at the damn things.

They're all over now, and they're not infallible.

Neither are you.

Come on, Lou.

Remember our old friend the NORAD computer? Four times last year, it made

insignificant little error that nearly launched a retaliatory nuclear strike

against Russia. Four times we nearly had World War III.

Hello, hello.

I think we're talking about something on a slightly different scale here.

Well, let me talk to the people listening to the beeps and write up a

Now, I want you to get this Clear Lake Fishkill thing. Lou. Give it some

thought. What? Forget it.

Give him a smile, Billy. He'll love your story. How about a story on condominium

conversion? He'll love it. I love it.

Oh, I have a deliberate pitch for you. Ah, don't bother.

City Council is considering a freeze on condos. You read my mind.

Great.

Such a love Monday, the start of a new week.

Listen, Billy, I want to talk to you about the problems you have with the

can't right now.

I don't want to do it now. You're in much too good a mood to do it now.

Excuse me.

I must have the wrong address. I'm looking for KDF Properties. This is KDF

Properties. And Redondo Securities. And Sirocco Realty. And Horside Enterprises.

Well, Horside's really the same thing as KDF. I know.

Keeping the stationery straight is a giant pain.

My name's Billie Newman.

I'm Laurel Goff.

Ray didn't tell me you were coming. I hope the guard in the lobby didn't give

you trouble.

No, I always look like I know where I'm going, even when I don't.

I'll tell Ray you're here.

I'll tell the guard you're here, too.

Maybe you also better tell Ray that I write for the Tribune.

Oh, I'll see if he's in.

Ray's not in.

Oh.

Uh, well, maybe you could talk to me about the apartment building on Vista

Mar.

No.

I understand.

All I need is a list of the officers of KDF Properties who are horse -hide

because they're the same, right?

Gee, I don't know anything about that.

Okay.

Can you validate my parking check?

Just a second.

Do you mind? Rossi, this is my desk. Be territorial about your own desk. My

machine is still out of commission.

How long are you going to be? All day. I've got 12 pages of notes on both

communications. Oh, a couple of both vice presidents called very angry.

What? What? What do you got? Oh, it's good.

What, Adam? Come on. What? This is such a wonderful story.

Bold Communications.

Ten years ago, they started out doing advertising on the side of buses. Today,

they're the eyes and ears of the West.

I know.

They're trying to buy Channel 10.

I know. I know.

I have a friend at the SEC who's told me about over 600 different complaints

against Bold.

Mismanagement of funds between the publishing house and their paper bill.

Charges of fraud at their Utah TV station. Even a little political slush

funding. Be jealous. Please.

It's a nice little story.

You're not going to keep your notes in there, are you? Sure I am. It's safer

than a file cabinet since I'm the only one with a code.

That's crazy. What if the machine glitches? You'll lose everything.

Don't even think such a thing.

Hi, I need your help.

Hi, what?

Are Harv Pedersen, Gullwing Sanchez, and Sonny Samble baseball players?

Zankle, Sonny Zankle. They're our million dollar bullpen. Oh.

Does that mean yes or no? That means they're all pictures for L .A. until

retires. Oh, there's another name.

Get a terrible handwriting. Is there a Ted McCovey? Willie McCovey. No, she's

right. Ted McCovey. Catcher. Was third string until they paid him to the Bay

Area last winter.

Well, the guy with a cannon for an arm.

That's him. Well, they all have their signatures on a baseball at KDF

office, and I have a hunch that they all have something to do with horse hide

enterprises. They certainly do.

Horse hide is a slang expression for baseball.

Yeah? That's what baseballs are made out of.

Horses? No, probably old, unhappy horses.

You know, I would like this story even more if the investors had familiar

You got time for an interview today?

Yeah, just point me toward the old ballpark and turn the news. Oh, can we

dinner another night? Sure.

Oh, that's the phone for you, huh?

Yeah, we'll shoot the breeze about the old horse hide.

Yuck. And then I'll grill them about the condos and they won't know what hit

them.

All three pictures not only have agents, they have PR guys.

And nobody let you talk to them? I couldn't believe it. So this Ted McCovey

my last shot. He's the only one who doesn't have an entourage. You're lucky

Francisco's in town.

I'll point him out to you. Thanks.

How do you know these guys without their uniforms?

I fill in at sports all the time. You get the norm. Hey, Terry. Hiya. How you

doing? Hey, Anil. How you doing?

Good to see you, man. Come on, walk out to the bus. Sure.

Anil!

No, but now they're working me more out of Anaheim.

You ever see our guys play soft beer? Hey, we've still messed it up.

Ted, how you doing?

Hey, Dennis.

Hi, Ted.

I'm Billy Newman of the Tribune. I don't want to talk about the game.

Well, that's fine. Baseball's not really my strong suit.

Excuse me.

Because I don't even know you.

Why in hell are you a sports writer if you don't like the game?

Don't you have any prize?

I don't believe it. I'm not a sports writer. I'm a general assignment

and I'm here to talk about horse -hide enterprises, not baseball.

Just a few questions?

Such a waste.

I'll talk to you, you'll take notes, and the story will get screwed up. It

always does. Not with me, it doesn't. Hey, every time I read a newspaper story

about anything I'm halfway familiar with, there's a screw -up.

The name is spelled wrong, or the guy has made it sound like a doofo, or

something important is totally left out. Well, I'm sorry you've had bad

experiences, but I write accurate stories.

Plus, you don't know anything about baseball.

That has nothing to do with the story.

If you knew anything about the game, you wouldn't be so dumb as to pick a night

when a guy gets his first at -bat in a week and pops up with the winning run on

scoring position. Let's talk about condominium.

Just because you're pretty doesn't mean you shouldn't do your homework.

Won't you just give me a minute? No.

You'll hear from me again, Mr. McCovey.

Next time you try, at least use your noggin.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment.

Year on A &E.

You'll be happy to hear they finally fixed my BDT.

Ma 'am.

I'm thinking of changing my entry code.

Too many people know it. I know.

Hard -nosed.

Oh, yeah? Who gave you that?

Picked it myself.

What do you think we've been trapping?

Sally Sussman's got it.

What's that squint?

Your eyes bother me?

What squint?

The VDT's giving you a problem?

Yeah, but not with my eyes. My neck, my lower back.

Yeah?

I thought you gave us the wrong chairs for these VDTs.

No fooling.

It's you.

Sports says Newhall merchants are making Tim McCovey Man of the Year tonight. I

didn't think he was famous enough.

Well, if you follow baseball, you may have heard of him. If you're from

he's famous.

Hometown boy. Yeah, they're trying to raise money for a swimming pool, and

McCovey has to be in town.

Instant manatee here. Okay, now all we have to do is get me a sign of coverage.

It's yours.

Sports has no intention of coverage.

Oh, great.

Is this great?

Yeah, it's great.

Cocktails at 7, dinner at 8.

Just because you're assigned to sports, don't feel obliged to get tanked. Right.

Crack out your crinolines. It's formal.

So I see the plate for the first time.

Kenny Oryx got his bat in one hand, and he's giving me this.

I can't see the ball.

So I start into my slide, head first.

Anybody should know better.

And I'm sliding, you know, and I'm thinking, here I am in the majors.

And I'm a rookie, see?

For me, this is a max.

Except I'm not feeling the plate.

Or a tag, or nothing.

And I'm running out of slide, and I can't see a thing, which is just about

time I come to a stop.

And I feel the ball pressed into the small of my back.

I look up for the owner's call, because I think, I don't know, maybe I caught a

corner of the blade.

And he, uh, Frenchie Falcone, he's standing over me, shaking his head and

smiling. And his thumb is up.

I'm 15 feet up the line.

on that slide as they'd grease the base pads and give me roller skates.

That was the worst.

So I start to get up.

Frenchie's leaning over me in his blue wool suit and his big ugly face and he's

whispering, come up, Linton.

And I say, what?

He says, come up, Linton, sonny.

Better the crowd thinks you're hurt than stupid.

with all these years.

Maybe a few more.

It's great to be home.

Thank you.

using your noggin.

Hey, now leave your address with Les here and we'll send you a copy.

I had to dress this way.

Listen, it works.

Would you at least let me get an interview out of this?

Sure.

Drive me back to my hotel.

They make you man of the year and they don't give you a ride?

I tell them I only need a car one way.

All players can always get a lift home.

Let me move it.

Reading up on the subject, huh?

Bullpen.

Forget this novel about rodeos.

I have to slam it or it doesn't catch.

This is a dumb way to do an interview.

Me driving, I can't take notes, and I didn't bring my tape recorder.

You want to go someplace, huh?

Be ashamed to wait these clothes.

Point the way.

Oh.

You want something else?

No. I hate the spot.

If I got a little food in you, you wouldn't be so cranky.

Oh, that.

See, I hate it when I'm on an assignment I'm not totally prepared for.

My reaction when I'm on a story I'm not ready for is to get very stiff.

and I'll show you, mister.

It's my version of coming up limping.

Sure.

How did you get into baseball?

I was playing high school ball right here in Newhall.

I was scouted by Earwig Hellman.

Earwig? People call him Earwig?

They still call him Mr. Hellman.

It's a big deal with front office in L .A. now.

I don't know.

I heard there was a kid named McCovey playing ball.

Maybe he thought William Covey had a brother.

He should have seen his face when he sees this white kid with big feet.

How long have you been playing?

Fourteen years.

Ten in the major.

Figured I got another season after this one.

They're always looking for catchers.

I've been shortening up on my swings so the hitting will come around.

Baseball.

I'll get them on them.

You don't like the game?

Oh, I don't know the game.

It's like saying your life is slow.

What does that mean?

There's so much going on.

Every pitch is another decision.

Where to play the hitter, what to throw him.

Does the runners go on the pitch?

Who's on deck?

You take a chance, you play the percentages.

There's a thousand decisions in a game.

Sounds like math.

Yeah, well, it is.

Probability, statistics.

You're absolutely right.

Your mutations are infinite.

The game could go on forever.

The ones I've seen did.

I've played 5 ,500 games, give or take, since little Lee.

I've watched a couple thousand more.

I've never played the same game twice.

And every one, a situation comes up I've never seen before.

No kidding.

You like math, huh?

Yeah.

It wasn't my major in college or anything, but I like math.

Math club.

Three years straight.

Oh, you lucky dog.

I was so chicken in high school, I didn't join the math, though, because I

afraid people would think I was a brain.

I was dying to be mistaken for a brain.

Believe me.

You guys see a game?

Yeah. I'd love to see you play.

Or I could take you.

Maybe a pony league or a high school game.

Teach you how to keep score.

Sounds good.

Outstanding.

430. We really got to go. I'm already facing a $200 fine for busting curfew.

Curfew? Are you kidding?

Yes, ma 'am.

Well, I better pick up the check.

Okay. Um, what do you think?

18 %?

I should be away for... Sure.

She does it in her head.

Girl of my dreams.

We'll continue in a moment here on B &B.

Would it be fair to say 20 ,000 fish are dying in the area of the spill?

Would it be fair to say 20 ,000 fish are very sick?

Hey, I'll use whatever term you tell me is right. I just want to be accurate

here, Professor.

What's the exact problem? Is it that the temperature of the river is too high

for carbon? There's no oxygen or what?

Clear your machine, Rossi.

What? Just a second. And that's from the chemical spill.

Clear your machine. That belt holds for thee, too.

Excuse me.

Professor, can you hold for a second? Hold for a second. What?

That's the new warning belt. The new lead shields are making the VDTs run

hotter. When they're about to overheat, that belt goes off to warn you to start

whatever you're working on or the machine will purge it and you'll lose it

forever.

Like you just did Listen

Charlie this boat communication story will be ready to go tomorrow I'm telling

you you got to get Metro to hold that feature on the channel 10 sale for one

You're willing sure not that big a deal.

It's a very big deal It's a very big deal and I just agreed to what you want.

We okay

Financial guys aren't used to writing stories that people may actually read.

Animals settle down.

Excuse me.

Charlie, do you still have that dime stapler?

Be my guest.

Let me know when Adam has a draft.

Yeah, you'll probably know before I will.

Hey, the intern on county government, he's working out all right? Mm -hmm.

Spelled better than none.

Thank you. I'm finished.

She sure is looking good today, don't you think?

Yeah.

Definitely looking good.

Uh, we've got problems on the condominium.

Hope he wouldn't talk, huh?

No.

No, that part went great.

The problem is I like him.

That's your problem with everyone.

Listen, it can't hurt if he doesn't come off as human beings.

Yeah.

Lou, we never even got around to talking about condominiums. I spent the entire

night with him, and I completely forgot to... Fine, I understand.

Say no more. I'll pull you off that story.

Hold it.

Lou, hold it.

We just talked.

Well, if you just talked, then you can talk again.

Oh, Lou.

I'm telling you, Ted McCovey smiled at me. I smiled at him, and...

I don't think this is business anymore.

I used to be a reporter, you know. I know.

And I've done my share of smiling at people.

Boo.

And I've been on the receiving end on her two times, you know.

It's no big deal.

I just don't think it's the same.

Don't kid yourself, Ellie. It's exactly the same. So just hold off on any more

smiling until you get your interview.

Then write your story. Then you two can smile until your cheeks grip.

This isn't funny, Rossi. Do your axe grinding with somebody else's notes.

What? I want my notes back. My notes on both communications.

I haven't got them. You're right.

So you hide them in the computer to prove how easily they can get lost.

How did you get my code?

I didn't. I don't know where your notes are.

You mean it? I mean it.

They're gone? For real?

Guess so.

machine. You must have your original notes.

No, I wanted to play it safe.

I didn't want to leave them laying around for somebody to find.

Put them all in the computer and threw the rest away.

I don't have a story.

Your sabotage, that's great.

I had nothing to do with it not disappearing.

Sure, you couldn't have. I told Adam that.

Because we need his access code, and nobody knows his access code but me and

Adam.

Unless he was dumb enough to tell you.

He didn't.

Well, there you are.

Is there any way of finding out what happened, Evan?

All I can tell you, operator Eric.

How do you know?

The only way that Three's Omega can make a mistake is if it's tofu.

Who's the last guy in the world you'd figure Billy would be interested in?

Frosty.

Who's the next last guy you'd expect Billy to have a thing for?

Me?

I don't know.

Ted McCovey.

What about Ted McCovey?

That's the guy she's interested in.

I never heard of him.

He used to be with the Dodgers. Now he's with San Francisco.

In public relations?

No.

He's a third -string catcher.

Well, why is he the last guy that Billy would be interested in?

Forget it.

I'm going to try this on someone I know who's placeful.

Or you try to work for someone else.

Sorry, Lou.

Hi. I hope you haven't been waiting. I left at the top of the hive, like you

said. No, I just got here.

Remember my tape recorder this time?

You really look nice.

Oh, I didn't get a chance to change from work.

Here.

Oh.

Guess right, didn't I?

On the nose, violets are my favorite.

I never want to test a guy's security about his masculinity.

Just get him to keep a bunch of violets. I've made the late club out.

Let's talk business, okay?

Okay.

What do you want to know?

How long have you been involved in horse hides?

One message car, two forks, two coats, and a hospital.

Is that right, Dad?

I'm sorry, Bill. Thank you, hon.

That is very sweet. Thank you. Would you like a glass of water for the silencer?

No.

Um, yes.

How did you become involved in horse tie enterprises?

Well, I've never been one of those guys who made big money.

My best years were before the free agent rule.

I was out most of 77 with shoulder surgery.

What's the minimum wage in baseball?

I've always done better than minimum wage.

I'm not trying to pour them out. I made good money.

I never did done things with it ever since my third or fourth season.

My ex didn't burn me in a divorce.

Two months.

Right. I had a lot of my pals in the bullpen.

A lot. So, they're making good dough.

They all have this same business guy, and they asked me, did I want a piece of

this... Real estate deal that Ray Durant was putting together.

Established apartment building in a nice part of town.

Where some of the tenants have lived for 15 years.

Yeah, I'm sensible.

Didn't you investigate the property?

First of all, I was traded up north.

Second of all, these guys are my friends, and I trust them.

They're not going to rip me off.

None of my friends are.

I got this high school buddy. He's got an appliance store here in town.

He says when I quit baseball, he'll cut me in on his store.

He doesn't have to put that in writing.

He's my pal.

The deal's good.

Of course, who wants to sell refrigerators?

So you haven't inspected the property?

No. Should I have?

Weren't you curious?

I saw pictures of it.

It's a Spanish building, right?

Yeah. With a courtyard and tile roofs and all those little windows that are

painted in the rear to clean.

See, I know the place.

Did you meet any of the tenants?

No, Billy, not personally.

But you're aware that your business deal is forcing a dramatic change in the

lives of the tenants. They either have to buy their apartments at prices they

can't afford, or they have to get out.

Hey, hold on.

Most of those tenants want that place to go condo.

Where did you hear that?

From Ray Durant.

Don't look at me like that.

Why shouldn't he be straight with me?

He was telling you what you wanted to hear.

The tenants are very unhappy.

I'm sorry.

That's all.

I'm in this with my pals. There's nothing I can do.

Is all this going to be in the story?

It'll be fair.

Don't put in that stuff about my shoulder being messed up.

Sound like I'm making excuses.

All right.

Are we done?

We're done.

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

Okay, Lou, it's done. It's like a condo.

I was right. No big deal?

No big deal.

saying anything about cataracts, all right? There's just not enough evidence.

I know, I know.

You show me one study that links VDTs to cataracts, I'll show you 5 %

that there's no connection. I'll make an appointment to see you in 20 years, all

right, Charlie? We'll talk about our cataracts then.

I've sat down with every person out there who works at a VDD, and they've

me about eye strain and backaches and stiff necks. Oh, come on, Rossi. You can

get a stiff neck from holding a phone with your shoulder. You want to get rid

phones? What about how unreliable those things are? Adam lost a very important

story. I don't understand why you guys aren't outraged by that.

It's no cause for outrage. It's cause for being upset. I'm upset.

Vern Adley gave me a list of problems. Those things are more...

Temperamental than a busload of bad opera singers. I'm not happy with the

problems we've had. Well, that should console Adam, who lost the national

maybe the biggest story of his life. You tell us to store our notes in some

mechanical brain? How do we know it's safe?

I mean, what, did Adam's notes get stolen? Did they get atomized, or what?

First thing about how a computer works. That's not my job. My job is to report

and write. The Trib's job is to give me a place to work where my stuff doesn't

get mangled or disappear.

I do my job.

Get out of here, Ozzie.

I'm leaving. Believe me.

He's been like that the past couple days.

Yeah.

He doesn't know a thing about computers.

Right. Do you?

one makes these damn things work, will you?

Okay, the suspects are trapped in an office building right here. The SWAT

got all the exits blocked.

I'll leave right now. Tell the full time to find me. Okay, I want you to stick

with us as long as it takes.

City desk, Donovan.

Yeah, hang on a second. Let's bring a call for you. Oh.

Which full time do we have at the Civic Center? Hi, Billy.

Ted McCovey. Oh, hi, Ted.

You got time to talk?

Well, I'm on a story right now.

Look at that sign of wood. It's okay.

I'll let you go.

You write the story about me?

Yes, I did.

It's got a mistake in it that I think you're going to want to fix.

I don't think so.

You said I was a major league captain, right?

Yes. Well, I'm not a major league anything. That's up ten minutes ago.

Why? Cut me from the roster.

I figured you should know.

Maybe they found another means of egress. Maybe they were never in the

in the first place. Maybe I blew it.

Close quote.

Yeah. Kind of refreshing, isn't it?

Do you have anything else for me today, or can I go home?

Great. All right. Good night, Art.

Aw, you were asleep.

Yeah. Do I have a big crease down the middle of my face? No.

Oh, gee, Ted, I thought you'd be in a bar somewhere.

On a drunken flute?

Nah.

The news is bad, I sleep.

Want a sip?

Yes.

I'm so sorry about what happened today.

I'm really embarrassed about calling you.

When I got the word, I thought, I won't be alone in a hotel room looking at the

cigarette burns and the carpet where my career ends.

I figure, I'll call Billy and I'll put it all on her lap.

I appreciate that.

I'm sorry I couldn't come over. Don't worry about it. I feel a lot better.

It's that first jolt, you know?

It's dumb not to see it coming.

The kid they called up to replace me was batting .385 in AAA.

So the club needed to make room for him.

Yeah. Put me on irrevocable waivers.

That sounds awful.

It is.

Does that mean that you can't go to another club?

Well, I can try and get picked up by somebody, but who needs it?

They put me on waivers last season. I just as soon as not have all those clubs

tell me they don't want me again.

No.

I'm out of baseball.

Honestly, it's not bad.

That's all that goodbye stuff.

I called my buddy at Newhall. Told him I had a new partner in the appliance

store.

Signed the paper. Come on.

Oh.

What do you think we celebrate?

If you feel like it.

You don't feel like it?

I guess.

I don't know. I'm not the one who got the news. Why am I the one who feels so

terrible? Hey, come on.

Forget it.

How's your other jobs in baseball?

Why should I want to stay in baseball?

You know what baseball's done for me?

Treated me like a kid for the past 14 years, and now suddenly they're telling

I'm an old man.

They may be right.

Says you gotta love what you do for a living anyway.

That doesn't sound like you, Chet.

It's been two days.

You don't know me.

You don't know when I get up in the morning, I got to brush my teeth left

-handed because my throwing arm won't bend.

You don't know that I blew the off -season every year, playing winter ball,

maybe I could have been going to college.

Don't tell me it ain't over.

I know it's over.

Excuse me.

We'll continue in a moment. You're on B &B.

And we're doing things with the Omega series that I didn't think we'd see

the 90s. Now, look, Lou, let me know when I've worn you out, huh? Oh, well.

What kind of thing? Oh, well, you see, now, what pleases me most, I mean, the

real breakthrough is compatibility.

My system talking to your system.

We've got that with Omega here.

This is like ours? No, it's a different model, but it's compatible.

Now, look, you've been away from the city desk for a while. Want to see how

news budget is shaping up without you?

From here?

8403. All right.

Now, you enter your code.

Call up the budget.

What happens if another newspaper owns an Omega?

Can they plug into the Tribune and read off the divorce print? No, no. That's

why everybody has their own individual code.

And the only one with a code book is your chief programmer.

Who has access to this room besides Trib employees?

Nobody. Stop!

What about visitors, the salesmen?

Nope. This place isn't on the tour.

Start it again. Forward.

And I make the salesmen take me to watch.

Who installed the lead shields, our guys?

Yeah. And the guys from the company, stop.

CompuShield. Who?

CompuShield. Were they here?

Sure. What's it like?

Can you remember?

Was the safe unlocked at any time when they were here?

No. You sure?

The safe is always locked.

Oh, that's good. But there's nothing in it.

There isn't?

Where's your code book?

Right here.

You're supposed to keep that in a safe.

It won't fit in the safe. Would you just run it forward one more time?

Did you ever leave the people from CompuShield alone in this room?

Sure I did. What's the problem?

Those guys were on our side.

Weren't they?

CompuShield is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bolt Communications.

Now, they would do anything they could to try to sabotage my story, but this is

incredible. What are you saying? That while they were working for us, they

stealing your notes? Stealing his code.

They give the code to someone with a parent company. Then any time, from any

computer that's compatible with ours, they call up Adam's notes and eliminate

him. Shh.

Can we prove any of this?

No. Wait a minute. They did use the phone.

Can't we check the billing?

It won't tell us a thing. It would be a local call. There's no proof that it

happened. Are we still vulnerable?

We sure are.

Nothing's changed.

We've got to rework security then. Change Adam's code. Change everybody's

And we have got to get Vern to keep his codebook in the safe.

We'll have everyone in the editorial make printouts of their sensitive notes.

Take them out of the computer for now. I'll get us access to the main vault

downstairs. We can store stuff there.

I'm taking my stuff home if it's all the same to you.

Sure. Adam, I'm sorry.

You see, we're still learning about this system.

It's a hell of a price to pay.

Don't apologize, Charlie.

I'm a believer.

I knew I had a pretty good story, but, boy, this really must have been a doozy.

I got a couple of tickets to the Dover Dance Company on Saturday. Are you

interested? I better not.

Want to do that ballet with the laser?

No, no, really.

With a laser?

Isn't that dangerous?

Yeah.

That's the choreographer's point. Out is danger.

Come on, afterwards we'll put it on a pesto. It'll be fun.

No, no thanks.

I've been coming, coming.

What's the matter?

I broke up with a guy.

I didn't know you were seeing anyone.

I'm not sure I was.

It's Ted McCovey.

Oh.

It's on my mind a lot.

Billy, you've got a lot of friends out there.

I know.

Don't pick me to tell this to.

I'm the least good person to be listening to how some no -necks catch

up in knots.

Oh, Art, I'm sorry.

It's okay. Just I hadn't told anybody.

It's okay.

Now I feel doubly stupid because it's fairly likely I'll never see him again

I'll end up knowing the difference between hit and run and run and hit and

put it to use.

Billy!

Come here.

Can we finish this later?

Sure.

Take a breath. Take your hands.

You're over him, right?

No.

I've had this in my drawer for three years. This is great, Dad.

What's your name?

I'll put it to Cornwall. Okay.

That's his father. That's nice. What was it like catching his ankles, no header?

Oh, Max.

Yeah.

Sonny's totally cool, you know?

And he's saying yes to all my signs.

I'm getting nervous about the top of the eight.

And the ump, he's so excited, he's hanging on to the top of my chest

just to keep him... All right.

Outstanding, old Bill. Primo.

Hi, Ted.

Hey, Billy.

Great.

Ted, great to see you again. Yeah, me too, Dennis.

A pleasure.

Me too.

Rossi, I want to talk to you. Sure.

Ben? Huh?

Right.

Can we go someplace and talk?

Oh, sure. Come on.

This is the quietest place in the building.

It's fine.

I want your opinion.

Oh, Ted, no, not this time.

I called Mr. Hellman this morning.

Remember him?

Your wig, Hellman? Yeah.

And he's in charge of scouting for L .A. now.

And I figured this would be a good time to thank him. You know, closing the book

and so on.

So I wished L .A. luck in the race. And he starts moaning about how both of his

Central California scouts put on him. And where's he going to find a guy with

rocks in his head and take a job scouting?

Which is dope pay and means driving through the toolies looking for

and gas stations and bean fields.

I mean, it's in baseball.

Just barely.

Like hanging by your thumbs.

And even if you could be coaching material, it'd be maybe years before an

opening would turn up.

It should probably be in Visalia or someplace like that.

There's no guarantee of anything.

Mm -hmm.

So what's your opinion?

Sounds terrific.

Yeah. I'm going to grab it. Oh, wonderful.

Billy.

Thank you.

Can I see you for dinner?

No. Oh.

I'm going to be in Stockton tonight.

I just want you to know, I get no pleasure whatsoever in being right about

computers.

Oh, go ahead, Rossi. Enjoy yourself.

Uh, you're supposed to clear all of your notes out of the machine.

Okay. For the record, I was right about the computers.

But that doesn't mean I'm enjoying being right.

The classical music of the Houston Symphony provides the backdrop for a

figure skating.

Join us for the Houston Symphony Concert on Ice tonight. And now, an officer

accuses his partner of robbery.