Original subtitles

Close your eyes.

Now, trace the letters with your hand.

What's that spell?

No.

Good, Linda.

You did great today.

Can I go outside and play?

Yeah, I'll come get you in a while.

She's really coming along.

I'm glad.

Oh, that reminds me. I have some good news.

Linda's pictures would be amazing if somebody twice her age drew them. Oh,

loves to do it.

Well, Kids World Weekly has an art contest every year, and we always submit

of our kids' drawings, and we never hear anything.

Well, this year, we heard.

Not only do they want to publish Linda's pictures, they want this one on the

cover.

You sent these in without asking me?

Abby, I thought you'd be pleased.

I bring my daughter here to work on her reading skills. If I wanted her to be an

artist, then I would send her to art school.

Well, that's exactly what you could do.

They want to give her a scholarship. I don't want these pictures published.

stick to teaching her how to read and leave the rest of Linda's education to

Mrs. Scali, show me some of your pictures.

Is that all you can see here today? They are beautiful.

I'm so proud of you.

Listen to me. Listen to me. I want you to stay here and don't move.

Hey, help!

Hey! Hey, help!

The guy in the mountain bike, he took this woman's purse. He rode down the

creek. Red hair, long red hair.

Got it.

You all right?

There he is.

Comes out on 29th, please. Quality.

X -ray set. We'll be back about 29th.

Okay, chill.

You win.

You win.

Get away from me.

I'm gonna end it.

Lee, put the gun down. We'll talk some more. Don't pretend to be my friend.

I got nobody.

Sounds like you've been feeling alone for a long time.

I don't know what I'm going through.

That's right, I don't. But I know from my own life that nothing's easy in this

world.

For example, my mother -in -law's cooking impaired, and I gotta eat over

twice a week.

I lost my job.

My wife left.

I can't... I just... I can't go on. You feel bad today, I hear that.

But tomorrow you might feel better.

Now we're gonna find out if you're not here.

I just don't know anymore.

Lee.

You gotta give me the gun now.

And we're gonna talk.

What do you say?

How about a hand for our actor, Lee Leland?

When somebody's about to commit suicide, they feel completely isolated.

See if you can get them talking.

See if you can get them laughing.

Make them understand that you know how they feel.

If you make a connection, it just may save a life.

It's not much. It's a fortune.

That worked in a year and a half.

Last thing I did was a commercial for Henshaw's orange juice.

Now I remember you. You were the singing orange. Yeah.

I also wrote that tune.

A day without O .J.

is no day at all.

Do you remember?

It's so squeeze it, freeze it, drink of it, have a ball.

Must be fun doing those ads.

Yeah.

Yeah, it used to be.

Well, you did a great job out there today.

Who's acting?

My wife did leave me.

My career's in the toilet.

I just should never have played the orange.

You know, I got typecast, and I couldn't get work, and then I started drinking

too much.

And the next thing I know...

Jenny was gone.

So I just keep thinking, why go on? What's the point?

Sounds like you've been feeling alone for a long time.

I'm sure you feel helpless today. I hear that.

But tomorrow you might feel better.

Shut up.

Oh, God.

Are you all right?

Oh, my God.

There must be a sign.

You saved my life.

Well, I'm... Anybody would. No, but you did.

You did.

No. You did.

Um... Somebody want to call the elevator company?

Lee.

Lee.

Last name?

Davenport.

Social security number?

You really need all that?

It's just routine, but we do.

Hi, honey. What's up?

There was a mugging right outside the school.

Linda Davenport's a witness.

And this is her daughter, Linda.

Hi. Hi.

She gave a pretty good description of the crime scene.

I think she might be changing her mind.

Hi, I'm Police Commissioner Scali. Abby Davenport.

I understand you witnessed the mugging?

Guy snatched a purse from an older lady. She didn't get a good look at him, but

Miss Davenport did.

Not really.

You said he had long red hair.

Did I? I don't know. I'm not sure.

Miss Davenport, you did something today that we wish a lot more citizens would

do. You saw a crime, and you got involved.

I'm not sure really how much I saw.

The guy on the bike has two priors.

In one of them, a woman was seriously injured.

Now, if you identify him, we can put him away for a long time.

It's past Linda's dinner time. I think I should be going.

You don't have to be afraid of this guy. We're not going to let him get anywhere

near you or your daughter.

But we can't get him without your help.

All right.

Thank you.

I'll keep him behind bars overnight, and we'll set up a lineup for tomorrow

afternoon.

I'll be here.

Hey! What do you think you... Tony.

I wanted to surprise you.

Look, four brand -new steel -belted radial tires, the finest the money can

You can't be too safe with a family car. I got them a couple years ago for doing

this tire spot. I wrote the jingle.

Da -da -da -da -da -da -day with no radials is no day at all.

You know your old lady will thank you from summer to fall.

Lee, I can't take these tires from you. It happened. It's over. You don't have

to...

Feel that?

What? That's my heart, Tony.

There's only one reason it's still beating.

When I think that I was on the verge of... And then you...

Beautiful.

Commissioner Scali, please.

Tony, I'm a little worried.

What's the matter, hon?

Well, Abby's daughter didn't come to school today.

We tried Abby at home and she wasn't there. She didn't show up for work

That mugger's still in jail, right?

He is, but he may have friends on the outside.

What if something happened to them?

I'm gonna go to Abby's apartment.

I'll call you later.

Linda? Yes?

Closets are empty.

Looks like they cleared out.

There's more to this than just a nervous witness.

Put on an APB.

You better make that on a Jane Doe.

The name, social security number, former address that she gave us, all bogus.

Abby Davenport doesn't exist.

Amy, they didn't need my bus.

She doesn't own a car. It's still our best bet.

An agent sold a ticket to a woman with a little girl about half an hour ago.

Where to?

It was an open ticket.

I guess she's used to being on the run.

How many buses have left since then? Two, Atlantic City and Philly. I radioed

ahead. They'll both be intercepted at the first stop. Good. Let's check the

of the buses.

No, not yet.

I'll call you about the silly bus at the first stop.

Okay, I'll be right there.

You taking a trip?

Oh, my God, is it really worth all of this for purse snatching?

In the first place, yes.

In the second place, I want some answers.

All right, I'll talk to Rachel.

How about you talk to the both of us?

My real name is Marcia Daniels.

Eight years ago, I married Stuart Walsh.

It was in Hartford.

His family's rich. He runs one of their businesses.

We were well off.

We had Linda.

I thought that we were building a life.

One day I came home. Stuart wasn't expecting me, and I found him

in Linda's room.

He was touching her.

How old was Linda?

Oh, she was barely four.

I don't know how many times he had... I

divorced him.

He, of course, denied everything. He had hired the best lawyers and

psychiatrists. And they said that I was delusional. That I had been...

molested as a child and that I was projecting my traumas onto Linda.

Had you been molested as a child?

I'm not delusional. I know what I saw.

Did Linda ever talk to anybody about her father?

She'd just say, I love my daddy.

I mean, God knows what he had said to her. She was terrified.

She wouldn't even talk about it at all.

Would she talk now?

Maybe if I had the money to pay for years of therapy.

The court awarded us joint custody, which left Linda living in his house

the time.

So the first chance I got, I took her.

You understand that makes you a kidnapper.

Wouldn't any mother do the same?

Wouldn't you do the same?

Yes.

You ask Stan to come in here, please. What's going to happen to Linda?

We'll keep her.

Take very good care of her.

Oh, she's like that. Thank you.

Stan, would you take Miss Daniels' head down to the lockup?

I don't care what happens to me, but I'm begging you.

Don't give my daughter back to that monster.

You have to let her go.

I can't.

You can't send that little girl back to her father.

You're assuming that Abby or Marsha is telling the truth.

You heard her. We already know she's a good liar. She's been lying all along

about her name, her background.

To protect her child.

I would do the same thing, Tony.

So would any parent. I know this woman. I've seen her every week for six months.

She loves Linda.

What she told us today is the truth.

I feel it.

The court in Hartford didn't... Well, the court in Hartford... Hartford is

wrong. They made a mistake.

You can't just put that woman away when you know that she's innocent.

All I know is that she's a kidnapper.

Rachel, she's a fugitive. I have to arrest her. It's the law.

The Tony Scali I know would never put the letter of the law above the spirit

a situation like this.

You see that Tony Scali around?

Tell him I was looking for him.

It's just going to be for a little while, sweetie.

And you get to stay with Mrs. Scali, okay?

Everything is going to be fine. I promise you.

I'm sorry for the way that I acted yesterday. I know that you were just

to help.

It's just that I couldn't take a chance. You know, this picture of Mike getting

on the news or in the paper.

My husband, he's got detectives everywhere.

I understand.

I don't think you do.

You couldn't.

I've had to be so careful.

We've moved four times in three years.

Linda, she's got no friends, no life.

I didn't know what else to do.

You did what you had to do.

And the worst part is, it was all for nothing.

We'll go to my house for a while.

Okay.

What's up?

I got the files from Hartford an hour ago.

Stuart Walsh is a pillar of the community.

There's no physical evidence of abuse, no evidence at all, except for what

Marsha claimed she saw.

So maybe she was lying out of spite, or because she wants sole custody of the

girl? Maybe.

It's just... Rachel believes her, and I have an awful lot of respect for

Rachel's judgment.

We need some time to look into it.

I'm afraid we just ran out of time.

Hartford PD notified Walsh that we have Linda in our custody. He's coming to

pick her up.

When? Tonight.

What are you doing to my lawn?

I got 800 pounds of fertilizer for the Silex deer manure commercials.

Had no idea what to do with it.

Until now.

The smell? Purely temporary.

Two weeks, Tops.

Two weeks?

Hey, this place is going to be the envy of the block. This stuff works. Believe

me. I only write ads for stuff that I believe in.

A day without green grass is no day at all.

So get it.

Spread it. Then watch your lawn grow tall.

Sorry.

There's a stream right next to the house.

The water's cold.

And this is my dog, Valentine.

You have a dog?

No, but I will. I'll get him and he's a puppy and he'll always love me.

You're quite an artist.

I know.

You know, your daddy's going to be here soon.

Maybe you should make one last trip to the bathroom.

I miss Mommy.

You're going to see her again soon.

She just has some things to take care of.

Will I see you again?

Sure.

Yeah, we'll come and visit you.

child draw pictures as sweet and beautiful as these? I mean, they're

sunny, and the families are all together.

Everything she always wanted, never had.

Meeker? Stuart Walsh.

Come on in.

I really appreciate your looking after Linda.

Well, my wife is getting ready now. She really is a great little girl.

Well, these last three years, I've missed her more than I...

Daddy's here, honey.

My God.

She doesn't even remember me.

Oh, sweetheart.

It's been a long time, I know.

We'll be close, just like before.

You'll see.

It'll probably take some time.

It's probably just as well that she can't go with you right this minute.

What do you mean?

Oh, I thought you knew.

I can't release her until the court makes it official. The court made it

official three years ago.

Well, if faxes aren't legal, I need certified copies.

There'll probably be another day or two.

Well, I've waited three years. I guess another day or two won't kill me.

You'll keep her here.

Daddy's got to go away for a little while.

But don't you worry.

I'll be back.

I love you very much.

You, uh, take good care of her now.

What are we going to do?

I want to help you.

Help me?

You told them we were here.

I saw Linda's reaction when Stuart walked through the door.

I'm going to do everything that I can to prevent Stuart from taking her back.

But I need more evidence.

It's too late.

If you testify against the mugger, we can delay your extradition to Hartford.

you're here, that'll keep Stuart here while we get more evidence against him.

I already told you everything.

Are there any witnesses who can back you up?

A housekeeper, another relative.

Do you know of any other victims?

There was a girl, Val Brody.

Before Stuart and I got married, she lived in his house. Her mother was the

housekeeper. And then one day, they just left.

And after Stuart and I got married, I started hearing the rumors.

Well, rumors won't help us. But they're true. Val even admitted it. She just

won't testify.

How do you know?

Every six months or so, I would call her up. I thought that maybe if she came

forward, then Linda and I could finally stop running.

She'd just hang up on me.

Where is she now?

Valerie, please, listen to me.

I know what I'm asking is difficult.

I know how awful those memories are for you. You don't know.

I've got a life now.

I've been clean for a year.

I'd like to keep what happened in the past.

But it's not really in the past, is it?

Is it, Valerie?

And it won't be until you close the book on him.

That's what we're trying to do.

Close that book.

My mom... It helped kill my mom what he did to me.

We always thought no one would believe our word against his.

They will believe it now.

We'll make them believe it, Val.

Will you come to Eastbridge and tell them the truth?

For Marsha's sake and for her daughter's?

He hurt that girl.

Same as he hurt you.

And if I testify... You don't have the baby.

Don't let this bozo twist your arm.

Linda was only four years old. That don't concern us.

Let them people handle their own problems.

Last thing we need is bringing up crap that's old news.

You don't have to go down there and let them mess with your head.

You're safe here now.

There's a little girl who wants to be safe, too.

She suffered just like you did.

And she may have to continue suffering.

You owe it to her to prevent that.

To prevent the pain that you went through.

Hi, Mr. Walsh.

Call me Stu.

I, uh, I talked with my lawyer.

He said that the extradition hearing's being delayed because of some mugging

case you have to dispose of. Oh, right. Uh, we need Marsha's testimony. She's

our only witness.

Well, Commissioner, muggings happen every day.

Unfortunately, that's true, but that doesn't make them any less serious.

No, no, of course not.

I'm just saying, can't we accelerate the process?

If the victim's looking for help, I'll write a check myself.

I want... Linda, home with me.

She's got a right to be safe.

Look, the DA's in front of mine. Why don't I light a fire under him? The perp

the mugging case will be hungry to make a deal.

I'll wrap this up in no time for you.

What do you mean, stall?

I just got Marshan to agree to petty larceny. Don't accept it. Don't accept

Tony.

I've just been in intense negotiations for two and a half hours with his

Two and a half hours in an enclosed room with a man who I know had beans for

lunch. I need you to go to trial.

With what for a case?

I don't have a witness. The old lady didn't say a thing. With Marsha.

Marsha Daniels.

Who kidnapped their own daughter.

My chief witness is going to be a wanted fugitive. I'm going to crash and burn

with her, Tony. They're going to write Hindenburg across my chest. Why do you

hate me, Tony, huh? What have I done to you that you hate me so? I need you to

drag out this process until I get something on Stuart Walsh.

You close?

I got nothing.

I'll drag it out as long as I can.

Thanks, Alex.

It's not going to be easy because Presenza, you know, he likes his cases

and sweet.

If anyone can bring the system to a grinding halt.

Hey, I'm your man.

Excuse me.

Thank you. Make way, please. Make way. Luncheon for the commissioner.

Luncheon for the commissioner. Good day.

Mustn't be late. Good day. Good day. Mustn't be late. Luncheon for the

commissioner. Luncheon. Ah, commissioner. Here we are, sir.

Hey, how about this? Room service.

Very good, sir. We start off with your small Caesar salad with homemade

croutons. Please. Follow that with a lovely vichyssoise, which leads to your

poached salmon with dill sauce, diced tomato on vinaigrette, and for dessert,

your choice of blueberry cheesecake or hot apple pie.

Right this way, sir. It would be my pleasure to serve you. Please.

I already ate.

Oh.

No problem.

I'll just leave it and you can graze later.

It's okay.

I love this man.

You're lucky you're working for him.

Have we won the war against crime?

How do you get rid of a guy who thinks he owes you his life?

Psycho -slavish behavior.

Have you what?

Saw a movie about it once.

Well, it wasn't exactly about it. It was more of a... Well, okay, it was a women

with whips domination kind of thing.

Some of the guys rented it.

Anyway, the point is the need to be dominated, i .e. to be a slave, is often

rooted in a sense of indebtedness.

This I know.

Well, that need can be erased if the slave feels he's paid back the debt.

Listen.

I can get you a copy of the movie if you want.

But then again, you probably don't want to because it's not really a classic

film.

Take this downstairs to Marsha. She could use something edible.

Oh.

I was just, uh... Look, it's not that I didn't want to tell you in person

because, well, I mean, you're certainly one of my closest and most admired...

Look at us.

The purse snatching case?

Marsha Daniels on the stand?

What happened?

I'm sorry, Tony. I won it. It's over.

What? I kept her on the stand all morning. Okay, I thought Judge Presenza

going to issue a continuance. We'd break for lunch, and I'd drag it out for as

long as I wanted.

I'm good, Tony. I was very good, and I didn't realize... The judge sentenced

purse snatcher to three years in county, and Marsha's extradition hearing is

tomorrow morning, 9 o 'clock.

Sometimes you just got it, even when you don't want it.

I know, Lisa. I went to law school, too.

17 exceptions to the hearsay rule. One of them's got to apply.

Yes, Val Brody admitted to me she'd been molested.

Right.

Right, listen.

I know it's after midnight. The extradition hearing is in nine hours.

Well, call me.

We got nothing.

I'm going to walk into that courtroom tomorrow with Butkus.

And Marcia Daniels will be in Hartford by the end of the day.

And did the form of molestation to which Stuart Walsh subjected you include

sexual intercourse?

Yes, it did.

And how old were you at this time?

I was 12.

Could you speak up a little bit, please?

I was 12.

Thank you, Valerie.

Why did it take you nine years to report this alleged sexual molestation?

I didn't want anyone to know about it.

Did you undergo a medical examination at that time?

Is that a no?

No.

Why are you here now?

Because I don't want him to get away with this again.

I don't want him to hurt that little girl.

Isn't it true the real reason you're here is that your mother tried to extort

$50 ,000 from Stuart Walsh with this invented story of molestation?

No, she did not.

It didn't work then, and you're getting revenge by joining Marsha's witch hunt

now. He molested me.

Counsel is badgering the witness.

Ms. Peterson.

You've been convicted for kiting checks, haven't you?

Objection. Overruled. And didn't you serve six months for telephone fraud?

Objection. Overruled. In fact, Ms. Brody, you're an habitual liar, aren't

He molested me.

He did it. Her previous record has nothing to do with this case.

Ms. Fredericks, the witness's background aside, you've presented no medical

evidence to support the charge of molestation.

I can't overturn the ruling of the family court in Hartford based on this

woman's unsupported testimony.

The custody of the minor Linda Walsh is hereby granted to her father, Stuart

Walsh. And Marcia Daniels is to be extradited to the authorities in

stand trial for kidnapping.

He hurt my wife.

You can't let him get away with it. Remove that man from the court.

What the hell kind of judge are you anyway?

You got kids?

You want him loose around them?

Put him away, man.

I know you want to be with your mom, Linda.

And you will be.

I'm going to make sure of that.

You have to trust me.

It's going to be okay, sweetie.

It really is.

Yeah.

You know, I love you very much.

This will remind you that we're always nearby.

Okay?

Hi, come on in.

Hello, Commissioner.

Uh, she's all ready.

Linda, your daddy's here.

Yeah.

I'm sorry I had to go through all this. I can only imagine what it's been like.

It's a nightmare.

Look, I don't care now.

I just hope the damage that Linda's mother inflicted on her isn't permanent.

Who knows what she's filled her mind with.

Hi, honey.

Let's bundle up. It's cold out.

What's her name? Huh?

Samantha. Why, hi, Samantha.

Thank you for taking care of her. Oh, it's been our pleasure. Linda's a very

special girl.

You're going to love your new room.

We've got lots of video games.

You like video games?

We've got lots of stuffed animals, too.

Enough to start your own zoo.

You're right, taillight's missing.

Since when?

Stay in the car, sir.

Can I see your registration and insurance card, please?

Yeah.

This windshield looks like it's tinted beyond the legal limit.

What?

And the tread on these tires are low.

I'm gonna have to cite you for that, too.

What is your problem, pal?

You're gonna make your quota? The tires are fine.

Hey. I said stay in the car. Look, I'm a personal friend of Commissioner Scali.

In fact, I just came from his house. I don't think he's going to like it when I

tell him how you treat people, Officer Kelly.

What, just because you wear a gun, you think you have the right to harass

people?

You done?

You're under arrest for disorderly conduct.

Up against the car.

Okay, don't.

You're also under arrest for failure to comply with a direct order from a police

officer. You want to go for the hat trick?

Look, this is ridiculous.

I have a seven -year -old daughter in this car who has been through hell.

You have no idea what kind of psychological damage it will do if you

us.

Take this little girl.

I want to book this guy.

Are you out of your mind?

Slap your department with a lawsuit so fast you won't know what hit you.

There's going to be nothing left of you when my lawyer's done, Kelly.

Come on, get in there.

Where's Skelly? I demand to see Skelly!

This man's going to kill me. Has he threatened you?

No, but I know him. Just get along.

Don't leave us alone in here. Guard!

I

guess

this is my lucky day.

Why are you here?

When you threaten to kill a judge, he don't cut you much slack.

Especially when he knows you mean it.

Look, I know what Valerie told you, but it's only one side of the story. It's

not the truth.

Valerie was 12 years old, man.

After all these years, she still wakes up in the middle of the night,

heart pounding out of her chest.

Don't. Please don't.

Is that what she said to you? No.

You, uh... You have to get to understand.

I'm sorry.

You sorry?

You molested my wife.

I couldn't help myself.

You don't know what it's like.

It's a fever that can't be cooled down.

Unless...

I didn't want to hurt her. You gotta believe me.

I tried to stop, but

I'm sorry.

I'll pay you anything you want.

$10 ,000.

I don't want your money.

Everybody wants money.

What do you need? $20 ,000?

$50 ,000?

Money won't pay for what you did.

Scali? This sells Wyatt Walsh.

We got it all.

Oh, God.

Oh, I just got the lowdown from the district attorney, Alex Beebe.

And based on what Stewart said in the cell, Judge Fenwick ruled you were

out of necessity.

You were ensuring Linda's safety.

So, all charges against you will be dropped.

I feel like I've been let out of prison for the first time in five years.

You got any plans?

No. Linda wants to stay here, be near her favorite teacher, Mrs. Galley.

Well, that makes me very happy.

You've given us our life back. Thank you.

Let's go.

Bye.

Coming home for supper?

Depends on what you're making.

I'll be home.

Hey, you wanted to see me? Yeah, Lee, I just wanted to thank you. My lawn's

never looked better, and Rachel's car's driving smooth as silk. Believe me, it's

nothing. Walk me out. Who do you want to walk out with, Jackie Gleason?

And away we go.

How about a little bit of Groucho? That's the most ridiculous thing I've

heard. And this is John Wayne.

If you want, I can teach you any one of them, Pilgrim. They're easy.

Sir, this thing has...

Three -speed jacuzzi jet.

Auto swirl. 500 -gallon capacity.

This tub will do everything but nibble your ears.

I wish I had had one two years ago. Jenny and I would still be together.

So, I want to arrange a time to swing by your house and install it. Oh, that's

way too generously.

Compared to what you've done for me?

Put your hands on your heads.

Both of you.

Give us your money.

Now.

don't want any trouble, okay?

Tony.

Tony, are you okay?

I am now, thanks to you. How did you do that?

I did a spat a couple of years ago for Lee One Ho's karate studio.

You did?

Of course, I only know the two moves.

Well, those two moves just saved my life.

Hey, I guess that makes a square. I saved your life, you saved my life, so

even. Even?

Are you kidding me?

Do you know what just happened?

I got to be a hero. That's the rule of a lifetime.

Look, I'm a character actor. I never get to save the girl, let alone the police

commissioner.

I got chills.

Thank you, Tony.

I'm going to paint your house.

Outside and in.

You ever see my commercial for Murphy's Paint?

Over the tap dancing paintbrush?

A day without fresh paint is no day at all.

Slap some of our water -based semi -gloss right on your wall.