Original subtitles

What smells like grease?

Me. There was a donut dipper malfunction over at Krusty Krum. It was going to

explode. First save of the day, huh?

Yes, but there are fringe benefits.

Mmm, donuts.

Custard cream, your favorites. Yum.

Hey, Morris called you.

Who?

Morris, the archivist from the Sun Times. He said he needs to see you.

What does he want?

Mmm, so important.

He said what?

He said it was important.

Got a call yesterday from this storage company down in Norwich.

Go ahead and see.

Turns out Lucius Snow rented a locker some years back.

Lump sum, all in advance.

Rent ran out a couple of days ago.

Lucius didn't leave any next of kin, so the storage company contacted the Sun

-Times.

Nobody upstairs much remembers Lucius anymore.

So the boxes landed on my desk.

I figured he paid good money to store something.

I ought to at least take a look.

And?

Not much of value.

This old passbook from the Illinois Trust.

Eight, six dollars.

Couple of nice pictures.

Never knew he liked the outdoors so much.

Also found these old photocopies.

Now, I walked past the Sears Tower every day for 20 years, and I never heard of

no explosion.

And, best as I recall, Lake Michigan never had this variance then either.

Yeah, isn't that something?

No, I don't recall any of these things happening.

And I particularly don't recall this.

The boy in the story is you.

I get tomorrow's newspaper.

Today.

I'm out there saving people's lives.

That's what I do.

ASAP. On the way.

Lucius was a good man.

He'd give you the shirt off his back or his last 50 cents.

Yeah, I didn't know him too well. I'm just interested. I know.

When the paper switched over from hot lead typesetting to electronic, it took

toll on him.

But that kind of thing shouldn't affect the fundamentals of a man.

No. I can't think of any good reason why he would have mocked up such terrible

headlines.

Do you have any explanation to offer, Mr. Hobson?

Mr. Hobson?

No, Morris, I don't.

I don't care what these mean, okay?

I just want them out of here.

They're yours if you want them.

Thank you, Morris.

Eleven -year -old Gary Hobson of Hickory, Indiana, was fatally struck by

pickup truck yesterday in the 500 block of Michigan Avenue.

Hello? You've reached Lois and Bernie Hobson. We're not home right now, but if

you leave a message, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Listen, Mom, it's me.

I'm trying to remember something.

I need your help. I need you to give me a call. Call me as soon as you can. Do

you understand?

As soon as you can.

Hey, Albert.

Need some help?

Hey, Lindsay.

Shouldn't you be in school?

Teacher training day.

Lucky you.

Hey, Bella.

What you doing?

Taking out my spot.

What's on today?

Sentencing of those Klein -Schmidt twins.

You know, those beasts that ran that boiler room scam.

The prosecuting attorney's that nice -looking Mr. Shearer.

You like him, don't you? Well, he gives a very nice closing.

You gonna ask him out? Oh, Lindsay Roman.

Hey, Al!

Lindsay!

Well, look, kid, who's looking after you here?

If you're going to grow me, I have a right to counsel. Come on, who's in

of you?

My grandpa.

Well, come on, let's go find him.

But... It was an inventory search, Your Honor. It was a phishing trip. They were

looking for the gun. People v.

Wells, an inventory search must not be a ruse for general rummaging in order to

discover incriminating evidence.

South Dakota v.

Opperman, Your Honor.

Inventory searches of automobiles are consistent with the Fourth Amendment.

Enough.

It's your grandfather.

Now, let me be sure I understand.

In the middle of investigating a homicide, your detective just happened

notice Mr. Baylor's BMW parked in front of a fire hydrant.

Deeply influenced, one must assume, by a childhood bond with Smokey the Bear,

the detective impounds the BMW.

Concerned for the security of Baylor's...

Small change.

He conducts a goodwill inventory search and just by coincidence finds a murder

weapon in Mr. Bailey's glove compartment.

My goodness, detective.

You must be the luckiest man on earth.

Your Honor, if you toss the gun, there's no way to make the case.

I'm sorry.

Sit down, detective. I'll have you decided.

Yeah,

kind of.

In United States v. Judge, the court held that the Constitution does not

require... Do you have any aspirin in your bag, Miss Chevalier?

Yes. Take it and sit down.

I'm aware of your precedent, Miss Chevalier, but I don't like it. Your

you will just listen to the testimony.

Take it up with the appellate court.

The defense's motion to suppress is granted.

Funny thing about shortcuts, detective.

Nine times out of ten, you wind up lost.

Your name is Robson? Hobson, sorry.

Gary Hobson, yes.

I understand you saved my granddaughter, Mr. Hobson.

Well, I gave her a hand.

And what did you do to be saved, young lady?

What mischief were you into this time?

It wasn't mischief, Grandpa.

She was chasing a purse snatcher, actually, Your Honor.

He stole Bella's purse, Grandpa.

What he did was wrong.

Sometimes I think we just should give her a badge and a gun and be done with

You are so grounded.

Objection!

Overruled. I should get going.

Keep up the good fight.

Oh, don't worry. She will. She can't help it.

Hey, Hobson.

What were you doing in there?

Uh, well, this kid, he, uh... It's a really long story. It's...

Bad day, huh?

We got the murder weapon.

Any other judge would have kicked the motion to suppress in a heartbeat.

Romick seems like a good enough guy.

Sure, if you're a high -priced defense attorney with a wealthy client.

William Baylor has been kicked out of two prep schools, three colleges, one

assault charge after another, three DWIs.

Daddy's rich and powerful.

So the creep kills his girlfriend, and all anybody cares about is why I looked

in the glove compartment.

Well, maybe you'll win the appeal.

Yeah, maybe I'll win the lottery, too.

I'll let you in on a little secret option.

What's that?

Sometimes the last place you'll find justice is in a court of law.

Gary?

What are you doing here?

Well, that message.

It was so strange.

I didn't even wait for Bernie to get home. I got in the car and I came

here.

The message.

Well, no, Mom, I just wanted to ask you a question, that was all.

Well, what question?

Listen, did we ever come into Chicago when I was 11?

11? Yeah.

That was the year that you were a finalist in the bicentennial essay

remember? The essay contest.

That's right, I won a trip to the Sun -Times.

That's why you called me?

Listen to me, Mom.

Listen to me closely. I need you to try to remember for me everything that

happened the day of that contest.

Why? What's so important about that?

It was the day I was supposed to die.

Oh, Gary, this can't be right.

Apparently, if it hadn't been for Lucious Snow, I would have been dead 24

ago.

You're a finalist, but that's the same as winning, right?

Mom, you're crushing me.

Official letterhead and everything.

Dear Mr. Hopson, that is so cute, the way they call you Mr.

On behalf of the Chicago Sun -Times, we are pleased to inform you that you are a

finalist in the Sun -Times Bicentennial Essay Contest.

You and your family will be treated to an all -expense paid trip to Chicago the

weekend of May 14th.

Oh, Gary, you're going to get to read your essay in front of everyone.

Maybe you should read it. Me? Why should I read it?

Because you wrote it.

I did not write it. I consulted. Besides, don't split hairs, young man.

going to Chicago.

Are you sure it was Lucius Snow?

I am.

Gary, maybe... He was sitting in my chair and he was staring at me.

I mean, there's got to be a reason for that.

And I think maybe the reason might be he wants me to remember what happened that

day. But why?

It makes sense, Gary.

Unless there's something you're not telling me.

There is, isn't there?

Look, Lucius's paper.

The date, May 15th.

Well, May 15th.

Tomorrow, it happens to be the... It's the anniversary of the day I was

to die.

Okay, I've heard enough.

We're gonna go get in my car, and I'm gonna drive you home so you can rest for

couple of days.

Look, I can't do that, and you know I can't do that.

Where are you going? Well, I'm... I've got...

What's the problem, officer?

Hair's on the wheel.

Hey. Now.

You ran a stop sign.

Give me a break. License and registration.

Keep your hands where I can see them. You just told me to... I smell liquor.

Been drinking, Mr. Baylor? No.

Get out the car. Now.

Now!

You are drunk.

Can't even stand up straight.

I know what you're doing, man.

Be sure you check in the front pocket.

I got more money in there than you make in a year.

Police brutality, man.

You saw it.

I'm calling my lawyer.

I'm not going to issue a restraining order against a police officer, and you

know it, counsel. The man is a vigilante.

Detective Armstrong is an outstanding police officer with 120 felony arrests,

citations for bravery, and not one citizen complaint.

You heard this man's testimony. He saw the whole thing.

I said it was an accident.

Quiet! Believe me, Detective Armstrong, protecting Mr. Baylor's rights gives me

no great joy, be that as it may.

Your case against him went bad by your own doing, and that gives you no excuse

for police...

But I understand, Your Honor, but I mean, this didn't... Considering your

record, I'm letting you off with a slap on the wrist.

Captain, I want him off the case and out of my courtroom.

Your Honor.

Restraining order denied.

Listen, Armstrong, I had to tell him the truth.

The truth.

The truth is that Baylor is a murderer, Hobson.

He killed a 20 -year -old girl and he got away with it.

Well, listen, I had to tell him what I saw.

Yeah, well, aren't you the good little boy scout?

Look, I'm strong. Look, I'm sorry, all right? Yeah, well, I'm sorry, too.

Hey, take it easy, Bill.

Come on, let's go.

Oh, come on. Please don't eat my last quarter.

The machine's broke.

It can't be.

Why not?

I need food.

I'm nervous.

When I'm nervous, I need food.

Hey, you're in that essay contest, aren't you?

Yeah, I'm Gary.

Happy birthday, America.

It would have been 102 pilgrims and a couple of turkeys, but my mom didn't go

for it.

I'm Jessica.

1776, nothing's broken we can't fix?

It all rhymes.

The whole 2 ,000 words?

Yeah.

Wow.

I was practicing, figuring out where to stop for breaths.

But I got so nervous, I needed Cheetos.

You have to plan where to breathe?

I'm not too good under stress.

Wow. You must want this bad.

Bad? This is the first time my parents have actually noticed I exist.

Mine are all over me like a blanket.

I'm an only child.

I'm number four.

Prom queen, quarterback, piano prodigy, nerd.

The ugly afterthought after a long line of perfect.

You're being a little hard on yourself, don't you think?

I'm quoting my mother.

Oh.

This contest is my last chance.

I need shoes.

What if it's an emergency?

Oh, my God. You saved my life.

Here.

Jessica! I gotta go.

Thanks, Gary.

See you tomorrow. Good luck.

I remember a girl named Jessica, but I don't remember why I ran into the

Well, maybe you blocked it. That happens to people in trauma.

Are you sure you want to know?

Of course I want to know. It might explain why all this is happening.

All right, well, here's a thought.

Why don't you get the actual paper from May 15th, 1976, see what changed in

Lucy's paper, and maybe it'll tell you something.

That's a good idea.

Gary Hobson, Seymour Sanford. The Chicago Sun and the Chicago Daily Times

into one Brown -McClack newspaper.

The Sun Times now has 10 presses, which can run at a top speed of 17 miles per

hour. We use 7 ,200 gallons of ink each week and about 2 ,500 rolls of

newsprint. That's enough newsprint each year to circle the Earth 30 times.

Happy birthday, America.

Huh? Man, talk about hit from the sticks.

I just stayed up nights thinking of that one. We're trying to listen, okay?

So what, you and your seeing -eye dog here?

Shut up. So if you follow me, the moment you've all been waiting for.

The press room.

After the paper is printed on both sides, it's sliced into pages, assembled

folded, and then carried by conveyor to the mail room at a rate of up to 50 ,000

newspapers per hour per press.

From there, the paper is loaded onto trucks and taken to distribution

Are you blind or something?

Ignore him. What are you, her boyfriend?

Would you shut up already?

Excuse me, Mr. Hobson?

Mr. Hobson?

Mr. Hobson, what are you doing in here?

I was just looking around.

I cleared it for you in the microwave.

am not shopping.

No, I just want to stay a couple of more days here with Gary.

He seems to have a lot on his mind.

Fun Ross is the gang member who killed his rival

in Coldwood.

Lucia's paper says Ross convicted.

The actual paper says Ross granted mistrial.

You think Lucia's changing the paper had something to do with the verdict?

I don't know.

I don't get it.

I don't get it either.

I mean, how could Lucia saving you from a traffic accident change the jury?

Gary?

Well,

if it isn't the disco duck himself.

Get lost, creep.

So exciting.

Here. I highlighted everything you're supposed to emphasize.

Now, smile.

There you go.

Ew, what are you doing?

It's just Vaseline. It'll keep your lips from sticking to your teeth.

Now, remember, I am very proud of you, and so is your father. Now, I'm going to

be on third row center, Super 8.

Enjoy yourself.

Jessica Sackey and her essay, 1776, There's Nothing Broken We Can't Fix.

Jessica, you're on go.

I'm going to vomit.

Miss Jessica Sackey.

I can't do this, Gary.

Jessica, get a grip.

You're not going to vomit, you're not going to faint, and you're not going to

break out.

You're going to win, and your parents are going to be proud of you, okay?

It's gone.

Jessica Sackett, we need you now.

My athlete is gone. It was sitting right here.

Check your pocket. I don't have any pockets.

Give it back. I don't know what you're talking about.

Give back her athlete.

Gary Hobson.

Gary.

Gary.

Gary.

Gary, wake up. Why?

You're having a nightmare.

Yes, I... I was dreaming about the contest.

What happened with the contest?

I'll tell you what happened.

We came all the way to Chicago, and you didn't even get to read your essay

because you got in a fight with a horrid little boy from Barrington.

No, I mean, what happened...

It's that time

again to shine a light on the past, so let's flip through our Chicago history

books and take a quick look back.

On this date in 1902, Mayor Richard Dale was born, and on this date in 19...

Look,

I really don't want to talk to you right now. But Baylor's going to do something

tonight. In case you haven't heard, I'm driving a desk these days. He's going to

hurt somebody.

Yesterday, you told me to keep my hands off.

Today, you're telling me to call out the posse. Look, I was trying... And I

won't even ask where you get your information from because I never get a

straight answer anyway.

But, you know, what I want to know is, what business is it of yours?

Because lately, everywhere I go, I am tripping all over Gary Hobson.

You've got to stay on Baylor.

Newsflash, buddy.

I don't work for you, and you don't work for this department. Okay, so just get

out my face.

Armstrong, I'm giving you the truth. The truth!

Okay.

One more time, all right? For old time's sake.

How do you know?

I thought so.

Look, if I ever steered you wrong, ever.

Okay, fine.

But by God, I warned you.

And you're going to have to live with that.

You want me to lose my job over this?

me to lose my job over this because that's the least of what's going to

here. I gave you $30 ,000.

And I told you I'd handle it my way. Not good enough. My boy's got 25 to life

writing in those jury instructions.

My instructions were fine.

After 10 years, they can read jurors like a book.

I'm telling you, they're going to come back home.

He's going to walk.

You better hope he does.

I can't hurt the whole thing.

Let him go. He's just a kid.

That kid had been killed. What?

What would you have done?

Because it's too late for second thoughts, my friend.

I expect people to knock.

Mr. Hobson, right?

What can I do for you?

I didn't understand it when I was a kid.

But I understand it now.

Understand what?

The Ross case, 1976.

He took a bribe.

I... I have no idea what you're talking about.

Oh, you took money to get Dallin Ross off 24 years ago.

This is insane. I don't issue the verdicts. That's up to the jury.

Well, but you give instructions that make it impossible to convict. You

manipulate the system.

Just like you suppressed the gun in the Baylor case.

I had every right to suppress that gun. You had every reason not to.

Dellen Ross 24 years ago, William Baylor today.

How many cases in between? I'm just wondering.

Get out. No, how many, Judge?

I have done nothing in my career that is legally insupportable.

Oh, is that how it works? If I did, the appellate court would overturn me in a

nanosecond. And that's how you justify letting guilty people go free so they

kill again.

Let me ask you something.

How is it you put a robe on them when you go out and you sit in front of that

flag? And just what is it, Your Honor, that you're going to tell your

granddaughter? How dare you?

This is unfounded speculation.

I'm calling the deputy.

I was there.

I was the kid 24 years ago that you chased out into that street. I was the

that almost got run over.

Do you remember that?

Because today is the day that it all came back to me.

I was in the middle of the Ross trial.

I was running for circuit judge.

My campaign was somewhat challenged, to say the least.

Tinsley promised me $30 ,000 in the support of several influential members

the Trial Attorneys Association.

You were bought.

Told myself it was politics.

The exigencies of war.

It was easier after that.

Besides, it's still up to the jury.

Oh, so all you did was just stack the deck.

I process over a hundred cases a year, Mr. Hobson.

I've done favors for Tinsley maybe six times.

Half those men were back in the system within weeks.

I've done a hell of a lot more good than bad in my career.

And that makes it right?

That's not what I said.

Look, out of all those people you cut loose, there's one thing you forgot in

middle of it all.

The victims. You forgot the victims. The victims and the victims' families. The

victims' friends.

And all that's going to be on your head.

You think I don't know that?

William Baylor should be in jail, but he's not. He's over at the Z -Bar

With a lonely nurse.

She's only because her boyfriend dumped her.

Only tonight he's not just going to settle for a phone number and address.

How do you know that?

How the hell can you live with the possibility?

Grandpa, is everything okay?

What was he saying,

Grandpa? I did

something wrong.

But you would never do anything wrong.

Would you, Grandpa?

Honey, you never told me any of this. Mom, what did you want me to do? I was

already in trouble for the contest, and I'm supposed to tell you that I almost

got run over in the street?

But then, okay, tell me this.

How did Lucious Snow saving you change the trial?

I don't know. I figured that if I had been hit by the truck,

Judge Romick, he might have intervened.

Out of guilt, he would have felt responsible, called the jury back. I

know.

But because you lived... In a way, he sort of made a pact with the devil,

he?

And because of that, William Baylor's out on the street tonight, and he's

to try to kill this girl. That's all on the same day that Lucious Snow saved my

life 24 years ago, and it's because of me.

Why the pound?

Lousy day.

Personal or professional?

Why?

Well, personal I can fix right away.

Professional may take me a couple of days.

Really?

Really.

What's the price tag?

Hey, Drew.

Hillary needs a refill.

Sure. How do you know my name?

I own this place.

You don't want to do that.

Hey. In fact, you don't want to be with this guy at all.

Get training. Your friend here just had an interesting adventure in the legal

system. Did he tell you about that? What's he talking about?

Nothing. He's nuts. Get this loser out of here now. Maybe your friend didn't

tell you about how he murdered his girlfriend.

Get him out!

Now! Get out of here!

You okay, sweetheart?

What happened?

Who did this?

Is Baylor in there?

What is this?

What's going on?

I'm trying to clean up the mess that you made us.

This is all my fault.

Leave me alone, creep.

Get away from me.

Bear, no!

Go call 911.

Is she okay?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

You saved her life, Judge.

Should have never happened.

I don't think it had to happen.

What was that?

Nothing.

You know what the judge is doing here, Hobson?

No.

No idea.

No.

I'm not done with you yet, Hobson.

What is it you want to know?

I want to know everything.

But I'm patient.

But you know where to find me.

Perhaps.

Thanks.

I think you dropped it, kid.

Ought to be a little more careful, huh?

This is cool, but, uh, it's not mine.

You're Gary Hobson, right?

Yeah.

Those your initials right there? G -H?

Yeah, but... You hang on, kid.

And take care of yourself.

Thanks, mister.

Dear Gary, I imagine by the time you get this letter, you've got a whole lot

more questions than I've got answers.

I can tell you that I wasn't the first to get the paper, and I doubt that

be the last.

But I am certain that by now, whatever debt you think you owe me has been paid

in full a thousand times over.

In this, you've found your gift, and I know you serve it with honor.

All these people talked about him at the funeral.

But nobody really knew him.

No?

He loved me so much.

He made me feel so special.

I wanted someone to say that at the funeral.

But nobody did.

Lindsay?

You remember your grandfather the way you want to remember him.

My mom says that we just have to accept that it was his time.

You know, God's plan and all that.

Well, you know what I think?

I think maybe sometimes we've got to stay in that plan.

Remember that for me, will you?

I gotta go.

Hey, Lindsay.

I think you dropped this.

It's not mine.

Well, it's got your initials on it.

Yeah.

But... You hang on to that, okay?

Thanks.

I can tell you that we are the messengers between time and its keeper.

You of all people know how fragile life is.

So, somewhere between the pages of our newspaper, Gary Hobson, find time to

live it.

By the way, watch out for a special early edition weekend next week.

And how's this for a cast?

Farrah Fawcett, Powers Booth, Rob Steiger and Peter Coyote. The romantic

of a woman's lifelong search for the man she loved and the son she gave up.

Dalva, next.