Original subtitles

George!

Come here.

Watch.

You

wouldn't

believe the stuff people throw.

Pianos, anchors, grenades.

Sometimes relatives.

Sometimes in pieces.

Well, he'd be used to it, you know. I don't.

Found her credit cards and ID.

Name is Sally Jenkins.

Got an SAG card.

Yeah, she was an actress.

Yeah? Well, she's doing a great job of playing dead.

I can see this isn't going to be my day.

Better than hers.

When I grow up, I want to be a very famous clown.

And have the people laugh at me when the circus comes to town.

I'll make them glad when they are sad. I'll chase away each brown.

I'll honk my nose and tip my hat when the circus comes to town.

And when you hear the old calliope, you watch me and you laugh.

I'll jump like a seal and roll like a wheel and stretch my neck like a big

giraffe.

I hope you see me when I'm shown when I become a clown.

Next year when I am fully grown.

And the circus comes to town.

It's been a long time since I entertained the kids.

I suppose it's just a coincidence that you happened to pick 15 minutes before

Harry Trumbull's retirement party to do it. Is that today?

Look, Dad, if you don't want to go, just say so.

Why wouldn't I want to go?

You didn't catch the clown killer?

Oh, God, it was a long time ago. It's been years since that task force was

disbanded. Doesn't mean it hasn't been eaten away at you both.

I'm not going to put it behind me.

Well, maybe you have, but we both know Harry hasn't.

Is that why you've been avoiding the party?

I was the last person to leave that task force eight years ago, and we haven't

spoken since.

Kind of awkward time to start again.

We're the best.

Harry could use his friends right now. He hasn't got many left.

Let's go.

All right, hold your guns. We've got the man of the hour.

Here is Harry Trumbull.

Even a bullet in the throat couldn't keep him from achieving what most

detectives dream of.

He managed to milk one case for 15 years.

And keep himself off the streets.

Harry Trumbull.

Thank you.

Congratulations, Harry.

40 years on the job, that's quite an achievement.

Not exactly what I'd hope to be remembered for.

You taught a lot of homicide detectives how to do their job.

That's a legacy that lasts a long time.

You of all people should know exactly what I'm talking about.

But then again, you've solved a lot of murders since then.

Well, I've been locked away in my little room.

Harry, you locked yourself away in that room.

It's because the Clown Killer's still out there.

Only now.

No one will be looking for him.

Harry, you did the best job you could do. It's time to put that behind you

Enjoy your life a little bit.

You always talked about going deep sea fishing in Carmel. Do it.

I talked about a lot of things.

Talked about a wife, kids, grandchildren.

You know what happened to that?

You invited me to come down here?

No surprises in the autopsy. Sally Jenkins was definitely strangled,

from behind with bare hands. You can tell by the bruises around her neck.

Too bad we can't get fingerprints off flesh.

That day will come, but until then we have DNA.

She definitely fought. I found skin under her fingernails.

You find the killer, and I'll nail him with chromosomes.

Give me a couple of days.

That's pretty optimistic.

She had a boyfriend that didn't want to let go.

She called the cops on him twice. Last time he broke down her door with a

sledgehammer. He, uh, didn't show up for work today.

That's pretty grossing.

Any idea why the white made that? Because the crime killer didn't finish

work. Why wasn't I notified about this immediately?

Because you're retired.

The 24 hours that passed since I handed him my badge hasn't helped my memory

that much.

I'm still the expert on the clown killer.

This isn't a clown killing.

You just let me be the judge of that, okay?

Good thing I still have a few friends on the force to let me in on this.

Before the air got cold, this is our best lead.

Harry, the clown killer stabbed his victims and painted a clown face on

Sally Jenkins was strangled and she not wearing a clown face. That's because

something or someone interrupted the boyfriend.

That's why this is the most significant break we ever had.

There could be a witness out there. The clown killer also made an incision in

his victim's tongues. She doesn't have one.

He didn't get to finish. Are you listening to me? Look, I've heard

Sally Jenkins was an actress.

Between gigs, she worked birthday parties and storybook characters.

When we checked her apartment, we found an open jar of white face paint on her

makeup table. She was probably at the makeup table when she was strangled.

The clown killer picked up his victims on the street. He never entered anyone's

home. I'm telling you, it's him. And he just happens to strike on the same day

that you retire and the task force is officially shut down.

That's exactly why he did it. To laugh at me, to laugh at all of us. Harry, we

all know how you feel. You've been forced to leave your job before your

done.

The day I catch him.

He was a very good cop once. Yes, he was.

You two were good friends.

I'm sure he could use one right now.

Not me, I'm afraid.

Promise.

That's our world -famous corned beef salad.

And the next one is a smoked tongue cob.

And the one after that is our famous Santa Fe pastrami Caesar.

Definitely original.

Oh, yeah. I like to think of them as salads a man would not be ashamed to

Don't you think they're a little hearty?

Well, hearty, yes.

But it's the only way I can get Steve to put a little roughage on the menu.

Hey.

Give me some bacon and eggs, will you, Ches?

You can get them yourself.

And gouge your eyes out with my spoon, too.

Hey, well, a very good morning to you, too.

Boy, the surly in the morning routine works great. You can't believe what I

people to do for me.

Well, you're saying you're actually a good boy.

Great. I got a line from Sally Jenkins' ex -boyfriend, Ed Pender.

His brother, Erno, runs a wrecking yard in Venice. I checked him out.

Likes to break down doors with sledgehammers, trucks, benches.

The clown killer terrorized the city a decade ago with a string of killings

left six women dead and police baffled. And now comes the terrifying news that

he's back.

The clown killer took responsibility for the slaying in a note delivered to this

station late last night.

Its authenticity was confirmed by Lieutenant Harry Trumbull, the head of

Clown Killer Task Force.

Yes, there has been another killing.

Unfortunately, it's consistent with his past murders.

And so is the note, which contains information that only the clown could

I knew that Harry was obsessed with that clown. I never thought he'd go this

far. He's going to have this whole city in a panic.

Well, that's the station. I've got to go. I don't want to take long with you.

All right, listen up. The chief has reactivated the clown killer task force,

Harry Trumbull has been reinstated.

You're all assigned to this, or the casework is temporarily suspended.

How do we know it was the clown, and not some crank?

All of the clown's letters include the victim's time of death.

Now, that's something only the killer and we knew.

He put it in military time at the end of his message, and that's one tidbit we

never released to the media.

You report to Harry. He's going to coordinate the investigation.

That's all.

Now it's got work.

But that's how we're going to nail him. I want daily reports on my desk at 9 o

'clock.

I'd like you back on the team.

I'll help you perpetuate this fraud, Harry.

The clown didn't write that letter, you did. Oh, get your priorities straight,

will you?

Clown killer's still out there. I'm going to stop him.

Oh, you're monopolizing the resources of the police department to evade

retirement. How many killers are looking for you out there?

Here's your assignment, detective.

How nice of the clown to say hello.

Timely, too.

You got a job to do.

Why don't you go out there and talk to him?

believe the clown is back do you what i do believe is that every television and

newspaper reporter in the city is camped outside the chief's office he's

expecting results we have got to give it to him the clown didn't kill sally

jenkins give me one day and i can prove it one day

and your clock is ticking

the husband is, the wife is, though automated with a clown.

1100 hours.

What do you want?

It's been a long time, Harry.

Thanks for inviting me to clown around again.

Something wrong?

Oh, no. Just a crankle.

Nice to be back.

Is this another clown coin? Can you tell us why he's come back?

He'll come until I take a look.

I should congratulate you, Harry.

You were right after him.

What do we have here?

Young female, 22, the name on the driver's license, Judy Shedlow.

It's there.

When I got that page, I could only bring myself to come down here. Even in the

car, I kept hoping. We all did.

The only thing that matters is to see this never happens again.

I'm going to need your help, Steve.

Can I come?

Yeah, Harry.

I want to know everything you've seen since you got here.

I'm glad you're back on the team.

I'm just here to finish the job I started ten years ago. That's all.

And I still believe that that letter was a fake. And when this thing's over, I'm

going to find out the truth.

Fair enough.

So where's the clown been hiding all these years?

He hasn't been.

Not his last killing, 89.

We all wondered why he vanished.

I remember hearing a lot of theories.

Yeah, we thought he was more of a killer. He finished a pattern that we

understand. Yeah, pretty useless.

Yeah, because it was based on wishful thinking.

Truth is, the clown never stopped killing.

I don't remember hearing about any murders that even sounded like the

That's because you were looking at the wrong places.

Just like I've been doing for so long.

Siberia? Oh, it's pretty rugged country up there. Only thought about a couple of

months in the summer.

July 1990, when the snow melted, it uncovered six dead women.

Stabbed? Well, Siberian baby keeping isn't up to our standard.

But at least one woman had an incision on her tongue.

And enough of their faces survived the winter.

Show traces of grease paint.

Clown faces.

Well, not exactly clown.

I reconstructed these from bits and pieces of the victims' photos.

Skomoroki. In Russian mythology, he's the trickster.

Look at him.

You reconstructed this, so you don't know that this is actually what was

on the victims. Oh, wait, I got more.

I was sure he wasn't going to stop killing.

Siberia? Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, they're all oil -producing countries.

And Mexico and Venezuela, you've traced this path for the last ten years.

So he worked for an oil company, and the reason he stopped killing here is

because he was transferred. And then he was transferred back.

So we have to figure out what oil companies have operations in these

and we've got to make a list of all the employees whose movements parallel these

killings. That's why they gave me a dozen officers.

Now it's about time before you watch me break them down.

Mary, Dad, I'd like to meet Jed Pender.

He just admitted murdering his girlfriend, Sally Jenkins.

He couldn't have.

Seems Jed wanted Sally to stay home and watch videos.

She wanted to go to work playing Raggedy Ann at a kid's birthday party.

He settled the argument by throttling her to death.

I think the DNA test in the skin found under her fingernails will prove it.

Why would the clown confess to somebody else's murder?

Go on, Harry.

Explain that to us.

Well, the only reason I could think of it, he's toying with us.

Somebody is.

So you think Harry picked that letter so we wouldn't take away his task force?

Of course he did.

And then what happened?

He didn't think we were enthusiastic enough, so he killed the second girl

himself. No, we don't believe Harry's responsible for something like that, but

if he forged that letter, he's responsible for the second murder.

You had some problems with Harry a few years ago, is that right? That has

nothing to do with this.

Of course not.

But unlike Harry, you don't have any personal agenda at all.

If the clown was living in L .A., sir, and he saw those fake letters, it might

have inspired him to start the killing again.

It's a very interesting theory, Sloan.

What is your point?

You've got to take Trumbull off the task force.

No.

What, are you going to reward him for what he did?

Sloan, have you seen the news lately?

People are afraid.

Harry Trumbull makes them feel safe.

Harry's the reason they're scared?

They don't know that.

All they know is that this force has an expert on the clown killer.

And he's going to use all of his expertise to stop this maniac from

innocent women. His investigation is hopelessly compromised, sir. If he

that letter... Look, that accusation is without any evidence so far.

Unless you are holding something back on me.

You want Harry Trumbull punished for what he did?

If he forged that letter, I think he should be held accountable, yes.

I assume you share your father's sentence?

Yes, sir.

All right. I authorize you to investigate Harry Trumbull's role in

Thank you, sir.

Said investigation begins one hour after the arrest of the clown killer.

You want Trumbull.

Help him get me the clown.

And he's yours.

Not only the oil companies, but the businesses that service them, build

equipment. Any personnel records, travel documents, anything we can get.

We have to talk about that first letter.

Only a couple of hours. I'm kind of busy here. I'm in the mood to talk now.

To you or the press, your choice.

You've all got your assignments.

We need answers before the end of business tomorrow.

Let's find some place private.

I assume I'm meeting you instead of Newman's office, because you couldn't

thrown on my own task force.

Who sent that letter, Harry?

Until you get evidence to the contrary, it's credited to the clown.

He didn't kill Sally Jenkins.

Then let's add 50 to his list of crimes.

Are we done here?

That other girl, Judy Shetlow, put this on your conscience.

I'm going back to work.

You woke him up, Harry.

You demanded he stop killing again, all so you could have the glory of catching

him. He killed dozens of women and you're willing to let him retire in

You're willing to let him out there free laughing at us? Yes.

And what about a little thing called justice? What about that? It hasn't got

anything to do with justice.

You're an old man, Harry, and you've wasted your life on this case.

And now you're desperately trying to squeeze some meaning out of it. It's

pathetic.

I wasted my life?

You mean I never got married?

I never raised a son to take my place when I retired?

I didn't mean that, Harry. I'm sorry.

Why is that, you think?

Why didn't I ever get married?

I remember I was in love once.

I was even engaged.

It was 40 years ago, Harry Little alone.

It's coming back to me.

I remember her name was Catherine.

She was so beautiful, and she loved me more.

She said she loved me.

Until she met a young doctor.

Then she didn't love me anymore.

You know he didn't mean for that to happen. You stole my life.

Don't you dare lecture me about my conscience until you're ready to talk

your own

As the husband is, the wife is. Thou art mated with a clown.

Eleven hundred dollars.

What do you want?

Same as you. To catch the clown killer.

And bring meaning to my wasted pathetic life. I can't help you there, Harry.

That's something you'll have to do yourself.

I want a seat.

Clamp iron bars. That's all the meaning I've ever needed.

Listen, how are we doing with the oil companies?

Well, I'm expecting the personnel files first thing in the morning. Then we put

on our comfy shoes and hit the street. I've got a pair that need breaking in.

Can I tag along?

Well, if you want to help, I'm certainly not going to throw you out.

But if you're on the team, you work for me.

No second guessing, no questions.

I can do that.

However, you have to promise to be absolutely honest with me.

Deal. Mark.

Don't tell me.

I was walking away with crucial evidence you'd have to study in the morning.

Jump mail, that's all.

I'm Howard Weber, head of personnel.

I gathered the files you requested.

May I ask what this is all about? We investigated a homicide.

Well, that much I figured out when you introduced yourself on the phone.

Oh, you're the guy I saw on TV the other day, aren't you?

Oh, this is about the clown killer.

Oh, boy, those killings were years ago. Why would he come back now?

We don't think he ever stopped. He just moved on.

You don't think... I mean, you don't think that he's one of our employees?

I mean, we have a homicidal maniac working here? We're checking about a

oil companies who operate in Southern California. He could work at one of them

or none.

Well, since the killing stopped here in L .A. about ten years ago, similar

murders have been occurring in oil -producing countries. We thought there

be a connection.

We had our company picnic about a week ago, and my wife and kids were there.

He was there.

I even let him pick up my daughter.

You know who it was?

We have a lot of employees who have worked in the places you listed.

But there's only one whose travel schedule matches the date you gave me.

Randy Horsting?

Mm -hmm.

Platform killer.

Just returned from Saudi Arabia six weeks ago.

He doesn't get along well with female co -workers, so we try to work around

that. What's his problem with women?

Let's just say that after a couple of months on an oil platform on the North

Sea, the first woman you meet is going to get a lot more attention than she

wants.

Most of our female employees understand that.

Not every woman is an understanding employee.

Something like that.

Do you mind if we take these files with us, kind of sort through them?

No, no, no, of course, of course.

Oh, but you just do me one favor.

When you catch this guy, whoever it is, Do you have to mention where you worked?

It has to come out.

And if you'll excuse me, I have to call my stockbroker.

Most of my 401k is in Triax Petroleum stocks.

Here you go.

It's been two hours.

The chances of Worsting slipped out the back.

No, no, trust me.

According to his records, Worsting used to hit on any attractive woman he saw in

a bar.

Or any place else, for that matter.

Only when he got so choosy.

I was just thinking, you're a good cop, you know that, Steve?

Sorry we didn't get to know each other better.

Well, we spent the night together in a car.

You know what your favorite radio station is?

Just taking your coffee and why you hate a Titanic.

What else is there?

Oh, I meant before.

All those years working in the same building.

You never really talked.

Well, it's a big department.

Oh, I see a lot of your mother in you.

You knew her? You can't introduce her to your father.

Really? Sure.

Well, I guess I should thank you.

You got a girlfriend?

Yeah, I'm seeing someone.

It's okay with her that you spend all this time away from her.

She knows it's just the job.

I always say that.

And come today when I don't mean it anymore.

You know.

You never know how much you hurt them until after they leave you.

You're a guy who never got married.

You know a lot.

I do, don't I?

You know, it's good being a cop, but it's important to have a life.

If I had a son, I'd pray that he had both.

Worst thing.

I like guts.

You all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

My back's a little sore from sitting in the car.

Now,

this

just doesn't feel right. It's him. Just wait.

Enough.

Wait. Hold it.

Are you okay?

Check him out.

Did I hit him?

Yeah, you got him, Harry.

You look like you got bad news. There's nothing you don't already know.

You've got cancer.

Call them cancer.

That's where it started.

Through your entire body now, Harry.

So what have I got?

A couple of weeks, a month.

Didn't have to happen this way for just a minute. Oh, shit, Rob Mark.

Today's a good day.

Boy, you finished your life's work. Now you can die in peace.

Well, there are worse things out there.

I suppose.

As long as we got the right guy.

They are going to make this case stick against them, aren't they?

He's dead, hairy, he's shot. I've got to know it's him.

Well, his house is full of violent pornography.

He brought a big collection of knives.

Not enough.

Well, Steve found the makeup that the clown used on his last victim in the

compartment of Horst's truck.

Now, there's only one thing I've got to do. Just as soon as you're a little

stronger. No, he's been waiting 15 years.

It's the file on the first crime killing case. It's my home.

I've been waiting a long time to mark it closed. Look, I'm out of here in a

couple of hours. I'll be happy to go get it for you if you're a good patient.

Okay. I'll wait.

I'm good at that.

How does it feel to switch places, Harry?

I pick hosting.

You kill them.

What a team we make.

Oh, the world loves a clown.

Zero -one -thirty hours.

Ah, you're just in time, Dr. Sloan. Dinner's almost ready.

Fresh salmon, lightly seasoned, and it's great for you.

You're the clown killer.

Of course I am.

You murdered 16 women.

Closer to 40. I don't understand.

You have a family. You must put some value on human life.

Well, it wouldn't be fun otherwise.

Those women you murdered, they're no different than your wife and your kids.

Oh, I would never do to my wife or kids what I do to those women.

Cheryl!

Cheryl, stop pulling Jimmy's hair!

Now, how would you like it if he did that to you?

Complicated guy, aren't I?

Howard? How long until dinner, honey?

Another five minutes.

It's not like I wouldn't like to do it to my wife.

I mean, I would if it was something she could survive, but as we both know, it's

not.

Are you aware of how sick you are?

You can't go on with it, can you? We'll stop you. Well, from what I read in the

papers, you already have.

The clown killer is dead.

Case closed.

Boy, everybody must be so relieved.

I mean, I feel so much safer now.

Will you be staying for dinner?

No, thank you, Mr. Irvine.

I feel a little sick.

Well, I'm sure it'll pass.

Oh, a doctor.

You know, all the stuff I just said, I was just clowning around.

Howard Webber is a clown.

I thought Randy Horsting was the clown.

You remember Randy Horsting, don't you, Lieutenant?

That's the fellow you're commanding off the shot in the back last night.

Webber set Horsting up to save himself.

Well, you can tell that to Horsting's relatives when they launch a $90 million

wrongful death suit against the department.

We can actually say that it wasn't our fault.

Horsting was a violent rapist fleeing police pursuit.

At least that's what looks good on the report.

I tracked down three of his previous victims.

They all confirmed that he raped them and threatened to kill them if they

pressed charges.

That's reassuring.

You know, maybe we should put this on top of the press release.

That way people won't look at the small print where it actually says... Oops.

We still haven't found the clown.

But we know who he is now.

Let's tear his house apart. Or better yet, let me bring him in. And what am I

going to base a search warrant on?

Just confession for one thing?

Would that be the confession that he gave you while he was barbecuing dinner

his kids?

The judge will love that.

So what's your alternative, Captain, to let him go on killing?

If Weber is the clown, he's not going to come out, especially since we closed

the case.

And there is the possibility that we may be watching him. Unless that just makes

it better.

I will authorize a 24 -hour watch on Weber for two weeks.

But if one word leaks out that we are not sure that Horsting was the clown, I

will pull the surveillance.

Is that understood?

Yes, sir.

Weber is smart.

He'll just wait till he's out of the country to keep on killing.

Well, there won't be no problem with it.

Come to finish me off, Mark.

What do you mean? You got the murder weapon in your hand.

That's the file on the first clown killer case.

The Kit Camry file.

I've only been hanging around so I can mark it closed.

Honestly, it's not going to be that easy.

That's one thing I learned after 40 years of homicide.

Dying is always easy. It's life that's hard.

I went to the house to get the file.

Then you know what I'm talking about.

I buried myself for 15 years hunting for that killer. Because I knew I was the

only one who could stop him.

I stopped living my own life.

I know you forged that letter, Harry.

I had to.

You brought him back.

I'm sorry about Trudy Shetlow.

I'm sorry about a lot of things.

You know, I never really hated you for stealing Catherine away.

Well, you had me, fool.

I pushed her away.

I told myself that my job was more important than any relationship.

The fact is, I was afraid of committing myself to another person.

You know, I think she understood that.

Let me have that file.

What's that?

Prescription. Something to help you sleep.

Pen? Yes, sir.

Hello? Oh, Dr. Sloan!

I'm afraid you just missed Howard. He's on his way to the refinery.

This time I'm here to see you and the kids.

I don't understand.

Well, didn't Howard tell you? I'm heading up a Triax Petroleum Student

Health Care Program.

My goal is to start personalizing the service a little.

It's about time.

Now, this is the sample from Trudy Shedlow. Yes.

And you didn't find it on Sally Jenkins.

Absolutely not. I checked and I rechecked.

And we know for certain that Sally Jenkins and Trudy Shedlow were not

by the same man.

Yes, but you knew that already.

But now I know a lot more.

I won't let you hassle my family or violate our privacy.

Amanda, this is Howard Weber.

You don't know him, but you're familiar with his work.

He's responsible for Trudy Shedlow.

You impersonated a triax physician in order to extract personal information

my wife and children.

You know, I'm glad you dropped by, Howard. I've been looking into your

problem. Expect to be contacted by my lawyers.

They are filing a complaint with the Medical Association as we speak.

You know, he's been suffering from a really nagging case of desert lice. It's

subspecies of something called Pediculus palpabrarum.

It lives in the eyelids and the eyes, and it's unique to Saudi Arabia.

And it only takes the slightest contact to transfer from one human being to

another. The ointment is not working.

Your concern for my children is touching.

But they're already being cared for by a doctor who, unlike you, will still be

practicing medicine next week. You know, we found the same parasite in Trudy

Shedlow's eyelashes, and she's never been to Saudi Arabia.

Or Mandy Horsting has.

More proof that your father killed the right man.

How gratifying for you. Just one problem.

Horsting isn't infected with the parasite.

But your son, on the other hand, is. Now, unless he's the clown that leaves

Well, and the thousands of people who arrive into the United States from Saudi

Arabia every day.

It's enough to arrest you and obtain a search warrant for your house, your car,

and your office. It's such a waste of time. Are you sure you want to do that?

I will walk out of jail tomorrow an innocent victim of police incompetence.

Well, I'll be hunted by the press, of course. Oh, I'll probably have to hire a

publicist, maybe even an agent. I'll take that chance. And the public, of

course, will wonder just who the police shot and killed the other night.

And why?

It may be years before the police department regains the public's trust

respect, if ever.

The good news is there could be a book deal in this.

A few more deaths would really jack up sales.

Laugh and the world laughs with you.

Weep. And here we go on.

I don't know.

Yeah.

Harry, you didn't have to do that. We would have stopped them. Come on.

I had to be the one to stop them.

You know that.

Here's to Detective Harry Trumbull.

A relentless, dedicated cop who wouldn't even let death cheat him out of getting

his man.

I

think

the chief is going to have a tough time hanging on to his job.

In fact, so will I.

Well, we've proved beyond a doubt that Howard Bevan was the killer. We've found

his knife and the makeup buried in the backyard in a lockbox.

After he was murdered by a cop, who faked letters from the killer to the

and after the city paid $15 million to Horsting's family to preempt a wrongful

death suit.

Well, it can't be stopped.

I mean, in the end, that's the only thing that's important.

Well, you tell that to the special investigator when the hearings begin in

weeks.

It was funny.

Harry and I were in the same precinct most of my career, but we only really

talked once.

The night Washington was killed? Yeah.

I had this strange feeling he was trying to reach out to me somehow.

I don't know why.

What did you talk about?

Oh, not much. Just life.

You know.

Yeah. I think so.