Original subtitles

Hello, I'm calling from the trip.

I'd like some...

Hold it!

Everybody, this is a robbery.

Everybody, just keep cool and nobody's going to get hurt. Okay, man.

We're cool.

You're behind the counter. I want your hands on the counter and you leave them

there.

Now, I want your rings and I want your wallets on that counter now.

What's going on?

What's in the bag?

Cameras. What's in the bag? Cameras. Put it on the counter.

Kitty, they got cameras.

What's the matter?

Let's go in the back.

Now, nobody's going to do anything.

Why don't you guys just walk out of here now? In the back.

Come on. Nice and weak.

Come on.

Come on.

You said my name.

Bad news.

Hello.

Yeah. What is it, Charlie?

Did anybody call Tom's wife?

Any word?

Four people who were in the store were killed.

What about Tom and the photographer with him?

Photographer's still hanging in there.

One flicker of emotion during the closing arguments.

Right at page three.

The jury came back on Kitty Larson and Jimmy McGray. They both got the death

penalty.

you're going to be mad. How mad?

On a scale of one to ten, maybe five.

I can handle a five.

You're supposed to be in Frontera tomorrow.

I'm sorry. I'm really looking forward to it.

And I need you to keep going on airport noise and the hearings tomorrow.

That's more like an eight.

Frosty, come here.

Ten.

Yeah, Art. I'm sending you to the California Institution for Women at

tomorrow. Hello? Who are those surprised women?

Don't worry, Rossi. There are bars to protect him.

Kitty Larson, the one that shot Tom Pepper, is out there on death row.

She made an announcement that she's not going to appeal to the Supreme Court.

All other appeals have been exhausted?

Mm -hmm.

And isn't the Supreme Court a last chance?

She doesn't want another chance.

She wants to be executed.

I know.

I mean, interesting.

It's a story.

Billy will put it in.

Tom Pepper was really a nice guy.

He'd only been working here about six months.

I remember it perfectly. It was yesterday.

Could have been any of us at that tenant strike.

It was a demonstration at City Hall.

No, no. It's about rent control.

Parking regulations.

Are you sure? I was there when their story came in.

Tom Pepper was dead at the scene. The photographer made it through, though.

Yeah. What?

He was only on a two -week trial. Uh -huh. He was in the hospital for about

months, and then he quit the troop and went back to his hometown.

He was the one who identified Kitty. What happened to the boyfriend?

They were both sentenced to the gas chamber, but Jimmy Lee died in jail.

Somebody knifed him.

Kitty Larson case?

Mm -hmm. It's really unusual for both dependents to get the death penalty,

it? They refused to testify against each other, so there was no plea bargaining.

Also, the jury found special circumstances.

Fallible victims.

What was it?

Drugs? No. A couple of psychopaths. No.

The psychiatrists agreed that they both were perfectly sane and knew exactly

what they were doing.

After they shot these people, two and three times each, they went out and got

hamburger and a malt.

The lawyer's name is... Benedict.

She must have fired him 30 times.

But I do believe he's still on the case. That's right.

Jeffrey Benedict.

The prosecutor was... Frank Lowell. What a memory.

Have you kept in touch with Tom's widow?

No. I think you should give her a call.

Didn't the Tribs start a scholarship fund in Tom's name?

Yeah, it lasted about a year.

People lost interest.

The finding of the lower courts has been upheld. But Kitty Larson does not wish

to exercise her right to appeal to the United States Supreme Court.

My client wants the original sentence of death to be carried out in not less

than 60 days.

Spence Graham, Seattle Times.

Does being a woman have any effect on her chances of being executed?

Well, actually, Kitty feels this case will test the anti -discrimination laws.

You know, three of the four men who have been executed in this country in the

last 14 years have wanted to die.

And as a woman, she wants equal consideration.

Thank you.

Yes, Lee. Is your client acting on your advice?

She is acting against my advice.

Hasn't she fired you yet?

Not in the last 48 hours.

What was your advice to her?

I do not want to see Kitty Larson die.

I believe she is denying herself use of our appeal system, which was set up to

come to a conclusion by a rational process.

By circumventing that process, she denies herself justice.

You know Rossi, Los Angeles Tribune? Yes, Mr. Rossi. Why does Kitty want to

She accepts responsibility for what she did. She feels she should be punished.

Doesn't she have that right?

What right, Mr. Rossi?

The right to swift, fair, and certain punishment. The right to die.

Well, Kitty would agree with you certainly. But you don't agree.

Opinions are irrelevant. I'm here to represent my client.

But do you feel under the circumstances you can represent her fairly?

Well, I'm doing the best I can. So far, she seems relatively happy with the job

I'm doing.

Next question, please.

They've asked the original trial judge to set a new execution date, and

nothing's going to happen until then. Okay, come back in.

Actually, I thought I'd hang around. There's a lot of talk about this case.

Fine, whatever you feel is best.

Boy, you're easy.

You want it or don't you?

I'll be back tomorrow.

So they've got me down here from Seattle for three days.

A lousy press conference and they're beating it to death like it was a royal

wedding. Kitty Larson, the big deal.

Only if she gets a gas chamber.

Femme asks to be executed.

I told my editor she's not a femme, she's a hardened two -bit criminal.

Well, you don't believe she's seen the light and been redeemed.

I've never known criminals to change.

Their minds still work the same.

Well, some people burn out in prison, they stop fighting and start accepting

some things. Do you know what they did in that liquor store?

Lined everyone up and shot them. And then as they lay there dying, Kitty and

Jimmy Lee kept pumping bullets into them.

The defense claimed it was so the victims wouldn't suffer.

Right, to prove they weren't sadistic, cold -blooded killers.

Just killers.

Well, was this the spur of the moment crime, or did they plan it or what?

They claimed they were just going to rob it, but heard a police siren and

panicked. Panicked to hell.

Remember the testimony of that photographer, the one that survived?

He said that Kitty held a gun to the guy's head next to him and said,

What's her background?

Just a series of petty busts, as I remember.

Nothing big.

Well, why did she do it then? Was she influenced by her boyfriend?

I think it was the other way around.

Anyway, when I get back to Seattle, I'm going to hand this baby over to somebody

else. Too gruesome, huh?

No. I just hate to see us giving this woman so much attention.

She's going to turn into an overnight celebrity.

As far as I'm concerned, she's just another punk.

Mr. Rossi? Is there a Mr. Rossi here?

Yeah.

This is Rusty.

I apologize for the cloak and dagger, but I couldn't go inside without being

swamped. That's okay. What have you got for me?

I saw Kitty at the press conference today. She asked me to give this to you.

She was insistent, so I thought I'd try to grab you before you left.

Hey, Mr. Ross, I'd like to talk to you. Can you visit me tomorrow, sincerely,

Kitty Larson?

Why me?

I have no idea.

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

thing was jimmy lee had a deathly fear of water he was afraid of the ocean so i

would go out and swim beyond the breakers and he would stand out in the

and watch you weren't afraid well even if i was i wouldn't let him see it

did you love him i honestly don't think i was old enough to know that

but i will tell you one thing joe it's a good thing he is where he is i know

that sounds cruel but i don't think he could face what i'm facing right now

Uh -huh.

What's the matter?

Well, I'm kind of at a loss. I mean, all this is very interesting, and

I don't quite get it. Why'd you pick me to tell it to?

Your cowboy shirt.

My cowboy shirt?

Everybody else, they look so dull and boring.

I saw you on TV.

I thought I liked that guy. He's different.

Don't get the wrong idea about me.

Also, you asked a good question. You made my lawyer sweat.

You and I can't make him sweat.

I wouldn't be too sure about that.

I've heard you've been taking some college courses.

Yeah, graduated high school in here, and now I'm making these little apple dolls

that they sell in the prison shop downstairs.

This one woman wants to put them in a folk art museum. Can you imagine?

Kitty, where do you want to end it?

I can't answer that in one sentence, Joe.

But I would like to try and explain it to you and the world.

Because I think that I'm really older than my years.

And I have a unique perspective on life.

I also think I have something special to say. And you can help me.

Well, I don't know if I can help you.

You see, I've got to write what I really see and think about you. And you may

not always like that.

Yeah, but I think you're okay.

And I trust you.

Excuse me. Are you Joe Rossi? Yeah. What can I do for you? My name is Peter

Witter. I publish books in London. I'm quite interested in Kitty Larson's

It's a good story. Yes.

I understand you've just seen her.

Yeah. Look, you have to excuse me, but we're just about on deadline.

Could we talk later?

I don't think so.

I think you'll find that one's out of order.

What makes you think she's changed?

She looks totally different, like the girl next door. She's soft -spoken,

intelligent. It's really hard to imagine her holding a gun.

What do you suppose she's up to?

Well, I think she wants publicity.

I think she likes having a man visit her. Don't be so humble, Rossi. Maybe

you're just her type.

Who knows why she picked me, and who cares? All I know is people are lying

in the halls begging me for quotes.

Billy is a terrific exclusive.

Right now, I think she'd give me anything.

Not that she isn't sharp over what she lets drop.

Lou, why don't you have Billy try to find the mother?

Fine.

Rossi, she did say that she wants to see you again.

Again? Again isn't soon enough.

Okay, let's play it out. But I don't want to romanticize this. Don't go

her the fair -haired, blue -eyed robber like Billy did when she first wrote the

story. Made her sound like Robin Hood's niece.

She is much cuter than the photos I've seen.

Cuter? Well, yeah. She has these clear blue eyes.

And she really knows how to use them.

Let's not get swept away.

No, no, no. I'm just saying she knows what she's got.

All right. But we don't want to minimize her or make her sound too soft.

Remember, she murdered four people.

And in the article, let's not call her by a cute name like Kitty.

But that's her name.

Not Gaff. No, Kitty.

Too bad.

Hello?

Oh, hello, Jeanette.

Jeanette Pepper.

Tom Pepper's wife.

Fine. How are you?

Gee, I was just meaning to give you a call.

Peter?

Witter?

I've never heard of him.

Yeah, sure, I'd be glad to. Anything I can do.

Where are you living now?

Huh?

Mrs. Pepper, let me be very clear.

I am not wealthy.

I do not have movie or television arrangements to sell Kitty Larson's

I do is publish books.

Yeah, I just found out what kind of books.

Well, we did the story of the Yorkshire Ripper, as told by one of his boyhood

mates. John Lennon biography, 24 hours after he was killed.

Quite right. We sold 100 ,000 copies in England.

We are very good at what we do.

Mr. Whitter has already offered me $1 ,000.

For what?

Well, simply for a release.

To quote you, use your likeness, tell what happened to your husband that

$1 ,000 is not a lot of money.

Well, it's when you consider that this is a long shot and I'm the one taking

risk. Nobody knows whether the property will be worth anything at all in the

end. For the first woman executed in California in 20 years, come on.

And if she is not executed, then she's just another convict on death row.

I'd like to have my lawyer look over the relief, if that's all right.

Certainly. I'll leave it with you. Thank you.

Mr. Grant, a pleasure.

Mrs. Pepper, I'll ring you in a few days.

What do you think?

I wouldn't do business with that guy.

Is it a fair price?

For a release?

I guess.

I just don't like guys like that.

You know, if you're not happy with the way Tom's portrayed, you won't be able

object.

You know, over the years, I've had a lot of sympathy and good intentions, and I

appreciate it.

But it's just my son and I now.

And a thousand dollars will pay for a garage roof.

I used to go out there every week.

I'd take the bus, nap at the bus station, wait until they'd let me see my

daughter. We'd have 30 minutes together.

And then I'd come back. It got to be too much.

I still ride her every day.

Does Kitty feel remorse for what she's done?

Terrible remorse.

You know, the day it happened, she and Jimmy Lee tried to buy a motorcycle from

a man, and he wouldn't sell it to them. I think if he'd have sold it to them,

none of this would have occurred.

Why wouldn't he?

He wouldn't give Jimmy Lee credit.

Kitty didn't have no money.

Did Jimmy Lee get angry with the man?

Jimmy Lee never got mad.

Jimmy Lee was a very sweet -tempered boy.

What about Kitty?

Did you see her that day?

Oh, yeah. She came around to pick me up at the hospital.

Where I work.

She was just very cold.

Cold? To you?

No, cold about the incident.

Very matter of fact.

The man wouldn't sell him the bike.

It messed up their plans.

What kind of plans?

Oh, I think they were going to drive the bike to Florida, stay with some

friends.

But instead, they went back that night and stole it.

That's how it started.

What was Kitty like as a child?

She kept lots of secrets.

She used to love to make things up.

Like if you asked her what store she went to, she'd say a different one, just

for the heck of it. She never told people her right age.

You mean it was easier for her to lie?

She did have a lot of imagination.

Christopher, Christopher, come back here.

Now, don't go running off. You're going to go to the store for me later.

Everything?

Yeah.

When are you going to file your appeal on Kay's behalf?

I'm not going to. Kay asked me not to do that.

From what I understand, that's the only way that they're going to stop the

execution.

Well, I've pulled Kay out of a lot of bad times.

And, of course, I want my little girl to live.

But she don't want to live.

Why should she want to in that jail?

She's determined to go.

And I've just got to let her.

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

If you haven't discovered something to die for, you're not fit to live. You

who said that?

Martin Luther King, one of my idols.

If I could be anything right now, I'd want to be a preacher.

Why? Because I want to tell people the truth.

Don't you think it might be hard for them to believe you?

Yeah.

I've passed through something that very few people can understand.

I've taken human lives to know that these poor people will never see the

they'll never see a flower or watch their children grow up. That's something

that I can never forgive myself for, ever.

But over the years, I've come to accept that

personal shame. Don't you think people can understand that? They can learn

something from that?

What if he's just saying all this just to get the authorities to get you off

death row?

Jailhouse religion?

You could call it that. I need the love. Where else am I going to get it around

here except from God?

You know, Kitty, I've read the transcripts of the trial and you

were pretty hard at the time.

You said it's easier to kill them.

Blood doesn't bother me.

Yeah, I know that.

It was cool, man. What can I say?

I've spent my life being cool.

I stole a lipstick when I was 12 years old. I wouldn't say I was sorry, so they

busted me, stuck me in a juvenile detention center for a lipstick.

My mom, she came and picked me up.

She was on my case. It was... What's this? the Save Kitty Larson

organization?

Oh, those are some people that I correspond with. I have maybe 150 pen

across the country. They all write and tell me I'm making a big mistake, you

know, the ultimate mistake.

They even send me money.

I write, I send it back to them. I say, give it to a church or something.

Kitty?

Yeah.

Why did you do it?

Seemed inevitable.

What did it feel like?

Like it wasn't me.

Like it was just me watching it.

I have something for you, Kate.

This is a letter to the families of the people that I killed. I'm sorry I found

such crummy paper, but it's all you can buy at the store.

You want me to try to get this to them?

Well, I was hoping that you could put it in your paper.

Oh, no.

No, no. I can't promise that.

Well, it's not mushy or anything. I don't ask them to forgive me. It says

in there, I take full responsibility for what I did.

It's not written well. I don't write as well as you, but maybe you could fix it

up or something.

I just figure that I should start tying loose ends up. That's all.

I'll take a look at it.

I have considered your request to set a new execution date. Do you have anything

to say?

No, Your Honor, except that I hope you've come to the courageous

Do you have any complaints against the institution in which you're now

incarcerated? No, sir. Ms. Larson, do you understand the full implications of

this decision?

not to continue with your appeal?

It means I will die, Your Honor.

Is that what you want?

It's what I feel I deserve.

It's the punishment that you decided, sir, in this courtroom three years ago.

And I don't understand why you change your mind now, sir.

Mr. Benedict?

I have nothing to add, Your Honor.

All right.

Since the California Supreme Court has affirmed the actions of the lower

And since the defendant waives her right to appeal to the United States Supreme

Court, we will proceed.

Kitty Larson, it is the judgment and the sentence of this court for the offense

of murder in the first degree and the special circumstance of murder during

commission of a felony that you should suffer the death penalty.

This penalty will be inflicted within the walls of the state penitentiary at

Quentin on a time and date to be set by this court and in a manner prescribed by

law.

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

A &E returns to Lou Brandt.

Don't be in the library filing the reporter's name.

I want to see every one he wrote.

Lou.

Lou, you have to believe this.

Kitty Larson might get a stay of execution.

How'd that happen?

A group called Americans Against the Death penalty is petitioning the Supreme

Court on her behalf.

In the meantime, they've asked the trial judge to give her a last -minute stay.

Boy, are they cutting it close. I mean, the execution's only two weeks away.

You think Kitty Larson had something to do with this?

No, no, she's furious about it. The wires say she threw a breakfast tray at

guard this morning.

And she called the anti -capital punishment people a bunch of milksops.

great?

What's great about it?

I don't know, milksops. I mean, that's a kind of funny word.

She's right, you know. I mean, even when she's mad, she has this quirky sense of

humor. Is this a girl who murdered four people or someone you want to take to

the movies?

Who wouldn't, wouldn't let her out.

There's a new environmental impact report on the development of wetlands

the marina.

Don't wait. I'm going to be up in Frontier today.

What for?

To get Kitty's reaction to the appeal.

You got her reaction.

She threw her scrambled eggs across the room.

Yeah, but I haven't seen her in a few weeks, and I've been wondering what

been up to anyway.

I could be back by tomorrow, okay?

Who else knew Kitty Larson? What about the robbery she was involved in? Oh,

yeah.

Drunk and disorderly. Busted for stealing stuff from the school.

She was that a parole officer?

Yeah, I can pack that down. Good. And when you see him, I'd like to be there.

Sure.

We believe Ms. Larson's desire to be executed is irrelevant.

We cannot allow criminals to circumvent the appeals process and manipulate the

law.

Speeding up the execution because she wants it that way is simply helping her

commit suicide.

But on what basis do you feel your group has the right to intervene?

Society has an interest in stopping executions.

AADP believes one simple thing.

That the state does not have the right to take a human life.

Your Honor, may I say something?

My client has a right to die.

The right to die is a nice sounding phrase, but I argue that it has no

The question is, does the state of California... have the right to kill

Larson. We cannot decide that here today.

Of course not. All we're asking for is a stay of execution to allow the Supreme

Court time to act properly on our petition.

And to sway public opinion in your favor, maybe even talk to Kitty

All right.

Two weeks is ample time for the Supreme Court to decide.

Stay of execution is denied.

And if your petition is not heard, the execution will proceed as scheduled.

And I hope this is the last time I won't have to pass sentence on that young

woman.

Thanks.

Oh, is that the research on the development of the Wilshire Corridor?

waiting all day for that. No, this is something else.

Oh. I guess the library's still backed up.

Yes, sir.

I thought you could use this.

Stationery?

Oh, Joe.

That's real nice of you.

For your 150 pen pals.

Thank you. It's very pretty.

Well, I guess we should talk about death.

I know.

Why doesn't the AADP and everyone else stay out of it?

Maybe you should listen to them, kid.

I was born in a brass bed in my grandmother's boarding house.

You know, near 29 Palm, the Marine base, that area.

Your grandmother ran a boarding house.

Why, for the visitors to the base?

Maybe it was a brothel. I don't know. I don't remember.

But there was this big globe.

It used to sit on the floor, its own stand. I used to twirl that thing around

make up stories about wherever that thing stopped.

I feel like I've seen the world. That's what I'm saying, Joe. At least all I'm

ever going to get to see.

Well, the laws could change. I mean, you could be paroled.

No way.

I know how things work.

When I was 13, after I stole that lipstick I told you about?

Yeah. Okay. Well, I hitchhiked to Nevada.

I ran away from home.

I got picked up by these two guys in a Cadillac.

I got beat up very badly and raped.

They threw me out on the side of the road.

And the cops busted me for being a runaway.

What, did you tell them what happened?

Yeah. What'd they do?

Nothing.

Nobody listens, Joe. Nobody cares.

You know, a good friend of mine was raped.

I think... I think I understand a little bit what it was like for you.

No, I don't think you can.

Anyway, there was a whole bunch of stuff after that.

It was...

Different guys and... Compared to all that junk and this place, the smog ain't

that bad.

Smog? That's what I call it. The California gas chamber, you know.

Final stage smog alert.

It's just like going to sleep.

Kitty, look.

This is real hard.

It'll make a lot of people feel better, Joe.

Well, not me.

Look, can we talk? I just saw Kitty. Catch me later.

Okay? Sure.

As I remember Kitty's family history, the

father tried to shoot the mother, then succeeded in shooting himself.

In fact, Kitty was the one who found her dad.

But she says she doesn't remember.

I really wondered about the mother.

You could tell that she'd been through an awful lot.

There she was in a fairly nice house, babysitting the neighbor's kids.

And her own?

Really? Oh, yes.

When I was put on Kitty's case as her parole officer, her mother had just

pregnant.

And that was her little boy I saw.

Somehow she didn't seem very motherly.

I'm not surprised.

One of Kitty's problems was a lack of consistent discipline in the home.

Her father was an alcoholic, and Kitty has a history of sexual abuse.

But what does that have to do with walking into a store and shooting five

people? Well, I think there's a certain threshold of violence.

And once you cross it, either as the aggressor or the victim, it's easier to

cross it again and again.

So she was able to fire the gun and not feel a thing? People like Kitty have

unstable and shallow emotions.

They're unaware of the enormous anger.

To them, other people are just objects.

Then you don't think she feels remorse? She could be genuinely feeling bad.

She's sentimental.

Maybe mystical about her situation, but underneath... She'd do it again.

She spent her whole life digging herself into holes and then digging her way

out. And whatever or whoever is convenient for her to get what she

use.

Oh, hi.

Kitty can't see you anymore, John.

What are you, kidding?

No, I'm not.

What, did something happen to her? No.

She's just signed a deal with Peter Witter.

We've signed over the exclusive rights to her life story. He's the only one she

will allow to talk to her now.

When did this happen?

The other day.

Jeez. You mean she's really cutting me off?

Witter offered her a better deal.

Benedict has a good reputation. Why would he sell her out to a snake? He

believes it's the only way to save Kitty's life.

Oh, yeah?

How? Witter will get her a lot of publicity.

When people start to see her as a person instead of a name, they'll be a lot

more sympathetic.

Isn't Kitty worth more to Witter dead than alive?

They think there's a story in it somewhere. Either way, boy, everybody

piece. They're all a bunch of vultures.

I wouldn't feel too sorry for her. She had a pretty rough life.

You know, just to make sure I wasn't crazy or I wasn't being nostalgic or

something. I had the clips pulled on Tom Pepper.

I read everything he ever wrote for the trip.

He was just hitting his stride as a writer.

Real loss.

So you see, I don't feel a whole lot of sympathy toward this girl who killed

him. In fact, I really don't care if she does go to the gas chamber.

Because commuting her sentence would mean she'd be out on parole and I don't

ever want her on the streets again.

I don't think you know what you're saying.

Oh, no?

You think it's that clinical and easy to kill a person?

No, I don't.

Would you drop the cyanide pellets?

No.

I don't think I could.

But I gotta tell you, this one's really hard for me.

Really a close call.

Come on, Lou.

There's a human being there.

She thinks, she studies, she combs her hair in the morning, she makes these

dolls.

She's a person.

Are you really in favor of killing her just like that?

All I know is if she were dead, somehow I would feel justice had been served.

You want revenge.

Revenge is your word, Rossi. I said justice.

Basic justice.

I'm enraged that some angry, worthless kid could wipe out the lives of four

people and destroy the lives of everyone who ever loved them.

Lou, you're just upset about this one instance. Let's talk about the principal

here. When you talk on principal, it all gets very dispassionate and academic. I

don't want to be dispassionate, ever.

About what happened to Tom Peppert.

Well, you really bent out of shape on this one. Yeah, you're right. And you're

really getting on the edge of being liberated from this story.

What?

Rossi, why don't you take a walk around the block?

When I come back, I'd like this story to still be here.

I should pull him right off it. On what basis?

He goes up there, gets emotionally seduced by this girl, comes back.

Can't even think straight. Completely loses his objectivity.

Lou, who hired Tom Pepper away from New Orleans?

Who brought him out here? Got him settled?

I did. Who was responsible for setting up the scholarship program for his kid?

Program that didn't work. Yeah, that was my idea. So what? So I think maybe

Rossi isn't the only one who can't think straight on this.

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

Death row inmate and reporter in love risk. Oh, boy.

Kitty Larson convicted multiple murderer and Joe Rusty, reporter for the Los

Angeles Tribune, are reported to be conducting a through -the -bars love

Where did they get that picture of Rusty? It looks like he's the inmate.

press file, probably.

Did Witter plant this? The man's a genius.

Lou, did you see this about Rusty and Kitty Larson in the San Francisco paper?

heard about it. You really should read this. It describes Rusty as the dashing,

whippet -thin...

Sharp -minded reporter.

No, thanks.

Oh, come on, Lou. You like a good trashy romance?

Oh, Rossi, I want to see him as soon as he comes in.

Oh, Rossi. Come in and close the door. Charlie, I am so angry.

You know, of course, about the San Francisco. Sometimes I wonder about your

judgment. She manipulated me. It's true. I'm not denying I was used, but it had

to have come from with her. Rossi. I know, I know it embarrasses the paper,

it's my reputation. Rossi.

Yes, Charlie.

I was going to say that we could have had a full libel, except that they don't

really make any accusations.

Oh, no, it's a masterpiece.

They never put themselves on the line. It's all hearsay. I'm telling you,

is behind this. You have to admit you were a sitting duck.

I admit it. And you never should have allowed yourself to be in an emotionally

vulnerable position.

You got involved with a subject. You bought a gift. You allowed her to

you. You left yourself wide open. You're absolutely right.

I'm glad you agree.

I find your proposal quite disagreeable, Mr. Whitter.

We don't pay for stories.

Yes, but this has nothing to do with money.

We bypass money completely.

I give you exclusive rights to the Kitty Larson story.

You guarantee me good exposure. It's a simple trade.

I'm not a big fan of trading.

Mrs. Pinchon, I've tied up the rights to just about everyone involved with Kitty

Larson.

In fact, one of your reporters had a tough time trying to talk to her mother

yesterday.

I understand she slammed the door in her face.

Is that true?

Unfortunately. So it would seem that if you want to continue your excellent

coverage of this story, you'll have to play ball with me.

Thank you, sir.

We'll consider it.

I look forward to your decision.

Thank you, Mr. Hughes.

So what do you say?

Oh, so discouraged.

I know how hard our reporters work to carefully build relationships with their

sources and then a packager like Witter steps in and aces us out. He simply buys

everything in sight.

Well, I won't be bullied. I'm not going to make a deal with that man.

We don't need him.

We don't? Well, wouldn't it be wonderful to get an exclusive with Kitty Larson?

Sure it would.

But with the interviews Ross has already gotten, we're further ahead on this

than Mr. Whittem realizes.

You mean we could say no and still have a story?

A very respectable one.

Well, that makes the no a lot sweeter.

City desk.

Yeah, I'll accept it.

Hold on.

Donovan, would you handle this?

Hello, Rossi.

How'd you know it was me? I could tell by the frost on the phone when he handed

it to me. Yeah, that's his problem. Listen, it just came down. The Supreme

refused to hear the appeal by Americans against the death penalty.

So the execution's on.

What's it like up there?

It's a zoo.

They're transferring her up to San Quentin tomorrow.

Okay, well, stay with it and call us when you get to the prison. Right.

Kitty is waiting to see you in a business room. What?

It will be her last interview before they take her away.

You mean she wants me to see her again?

What about the exclusive deal she had with you? I heard you tried to make a

with my editors, but they turned you down.

Oh, she's still exclusive to me.

But I've decided not to intercede.

Yeah, I wish it was.

You mean your property's more valuable if I do the interview?

Why'd I sign with Witter?

You know, somebody's going to make a lot of money off me, Joe.

And I figured whatever there was should go to Mom, because she deserves it. And

he said he would handle all that.

Look, I can understand that. But the way you handled it, I mean, stringing me

along, then refusing to talk to me, then that tacky stuff in the San Francisco

paper. I kind of feel used.

Well, now you know what it feels like.

Anyway, all that stuff was Winter's idea. All that love story.

Okay, I'm sorry.

That was out of line. Let's stick to the interview.

Fine.

Last minute.

Hey, Kitty.

What do you thought now that you realize you're actually facing your final days

on Earth?

Couldn't you come up with something a little more original than that? The best

could do on short notice.

What are my thoughts, Will? I'm glad it's over.

I'm glad we won.

And I'm not afraid.

How do you think you'll feel on the morning of the 27th?

Good.

Do you believe in reincarnation or life after death?

I haven't really thought about it.

You haven't?

Well, it's a little weird.

You know, I've thought of...

Just going to sleep, you know, real calm and peaceful.

Look, I want to give you something. Could we stop the interview just a

Yeah, sure.

I don't have a formal ticket or anything, but I'd like to invite you to

smog scene.

Oh,

no, Kitty.

Don't ask me to do that. I know you now. There's no way I'm going to be part...

I'm not going to watch you die.

Just what...

It would mean so much to me.

I want you to be there.

Why?

Just to be there with me.

Oh, God.

It really bothers you?

Yes, very much.

Well, that's the best reason to do anything.

What are you talking? What if there's some kind of a challenge like you and

Jimmy Lee?

What do you mean?

Well, he was afraid of the water, so you'd swim out into the ocean.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Maybe he was afraid to kill someone.

So you did it just to prove that you weren't afraid. Cool and unafraid.

Probably scared you too, but you'd never let on.

Instead, you'd swim out beyond the breakers just like you're doing now.

What for?

You tell me.

Good morning, Lou.

You're here early.

Couldn't sleep.

That's the Kitty Larson thing?

Yeah, they're just letting the witnesses in now. I thought I saw Rossing.

Oh, we did.

The witnesses have been seated now.

Turn that thing down.

At 7 or 2 a .m., Kitty Larson was pronounced dead by prison doctor Joseph

Larson, comma, wearing prison -issued denim shirt and jeans, comma.

was strapped into the steel chair at 6 .45 a .m., period.

The stethoscope was taped to her chest, comma, through which the doctor heard

the last heartbeats of the convicted murderer.

I'm with you. Keep going.

Kitty Larson's last meal was brown rice, comma, steamed vegetables, comma.

Herb tea and ice cream, period.

In her last months in prison, she had become a vegetarian.

Uh, Linda, that's exclusive. You might want to bump it up.

Her request for a bottle of red wine was denied, period.

Paragraph.

As she was led to the gas chamber, accompanied by the warden and a priest,

comma.

Kitty Larson looked composed but pale, period.

Quote, I hope you guys

planning committee met and reversed itself on hotel development in the

wetland? Yeah, I know. I just heard about it. I'm sorry.

I'll punch it up and I'll stick it in the floor.

So what was it like?

I don't know. I didn't watch. I looked at the ceiling most of the time.

So now she's gone. Does it make you feel justice has been served?

Justice would be served if Tom Pepper was here and I could assign him to the

wetland store instead of you.

Probably as bored with it as I am.

How did Rush Limbaugh build a following of 25 million listeners?

We'll find out why so many people are talking about talk radio on Naked News

investigative report special Sunday.

Now, a trigger -happy cop gets a second chance to prove his ability when he's

called in to break up a drug ring. Join us for a police story.

Next on A &E.