Original subtitles

Attention all units, Mary 1 -7 reports code 10 at 700 block of South Basin

Street.

Mike, what's the situation?

Oh, temp?

Great. Lieutenant finds out you're here and I'll be wearing out my shoes in a

beaten Tijuana. A radio call said it was a Code 10. Any shots been fired?

No, not so far.

Any hostages?

Well, the guy's got a kid, but we don't know if she's in there.

Mr. Belinsky, the SWAT team is here.

Listen to me.

Somebody's got to hear my side of the story.

Please!

Help me!

Please!

Nixon, it's for a case. We will only need it overnight.

You guys can talk till you turn blue. These D -220 forms are my

and there's no way I'm letting you take one out of this office.

All right, that's fine.

Where's the copy machine?

Sorry, guys.

Confidential police material.

Power's a dangerous thing.

Nixon.

Nixon.

How long have we been friends?

Don't do it to me, A .J. You remember your birthday?

The party?

On Rick's boat?

Most of it.

You remember Elaine?

You told her you were a detective sergeant in vice.

You told her Don Johnson was a personal friend.

Oh, my goodness.

Well, she keeps calling every few days. She wants to talk to you.

She wants your number. No.

She does, honest.

You wouldn't give it to her?

Oh, I wouldn't.

No! Why are you so uptight about letting me see him? I'm not uptight.

You just have to wait. Wait for what? The man was arrested two hours ago.

You have to wait your turn.

Don't see anybody in line in front of me, Brown.

Try the arresting officer, booking officer, police photographer,

the guy's family.

When they are through, if visiting hours aren't over, then you can see him.

Capisce?

Bye, Temple.

Sometimes there are good reasons people have to go to jail for a little while.

But I'll be out of here real... Wait, Daddy.

I want to go home.

Who's taking care of Beasley?

Beasley will be fine.

He has plenty of dry food. He doesn't like dry food.

I want you to go home.

Oh, Maggie, believe me.

There is nothing in the world I want more than to be home with you.

But your Aunt Sue's going to be taking care of you. I want you!

I'll get her.

Don't worry, Steve.

Very cute little girl you have.

You said outside your house that someone should hear your story. That's why I'm

here.

I never dreamed it would be you.

They took my house away from me, Miss Hill.

I couldn't just sit there while they took away our home.

First of all, call me Temple.

Second, who is they?

If I knew I could do something.

But the bastards, they come out of nowhere, and before you can... I'm

crazy, aren't I?

I'll start at the beginning.

I lost my wife two years ago.

Car accident.

Megan took it hard.

I wanted her to have something permanent in her life, so I scrimped, I

borrowed...

I begged.

I bought that house.

Congratulations. A lot of people never get that far.

What happened?

A few months back, some real estate lady comes to the door, offers me barely

what I paid for the place.

I told her to get lost.

Then a few days later, I get a notice from the bank saying I was late on my

mortgage payment.

And you weren't? No way. That got paid before anything.

The house was the only thing we had.

It took a month to get things straightened out.

And the next month, it happened again.

Steve, computers do funny things sometimes.

I mean... Computers don't follow your kid home from school in dark sedans.

Computers don't set your house on fire when you won't sell. Are you serious?

Somebody did that. Last month, fire was in my workshop.

I'm always real careful.

It was arson, Temple.

I even found where they broke the lock.

But the bank didn't care.

Insurance got canceled, and boom, foreclosure.

I didn't know they could do that.

Legally, they can, but they usually give you a chance, a grace period.

Somehow, mine got canceled, and no one would tell me why.

So you took a stand.

Steve, people don't just shoot it out with the police these days.

Temple, this didn't just happen. It wasn't bad luck.

Somebody wanted me gone, and when I wouldn't sell, they decided to drive me

Fred, visiting hours are over. We're almost through here. I can't make

exceptions, Temple, even for you.

Lieutenant, did you listen to this man's story?

He was resisting arrest, threatened a peace officer with a firearm, and put

of my men in the emergency room.

Has his bail been set?

Check with P .D. Why?

Get him ready for release.

What?

If you won't let me talk to him in here, I'll talk to him outside.

The public should hear what this man has to say.

Are you crazy? I'd rather go one -on -one with a whirling propeller.

She never has to see you. She doesn't have to know about this.

No, I think what Rick means here is that we don't want to get in the middle of a

lover's spat.

I know exactly what he means.

The woman needs the protection I can't give her unless you two help me.

Town, town, town. Please, just sit down. You're making me very nervous.

She wouldn't listen to a word I said.

The guy fought like a bull on PCP, and she's not worried.

Well, uh, excuse me, town. Um, this guy has no record. And frankly, if I'd been

in his shoes, I'd have thrown a few punches myself.

Don't tell me you're on her side. We are not on anybody's side.

Town, your lady is no dummy. She is a pretty good judge of character.

Okay, call me an overprotective lover. You're an overprotective lover.

Will you shut up? It's just that I've seen this type before.

Smooth as silk. He's got a story that'll break your heart. Underneath it,

unstable as hell.

Central has a ticking bomb. Now that's the way I read him. Temple is a

professional at the top of her field.

I don't think she's going to take kindly to having her police officer boyfriend

hire a couple of babysitters.

She won't be mad at you. She'll be mad at me.

Guys, please.

I'm telling you, I got a strange feeling about this thing.

If something were to happen to Temple, I mean.

77. Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. You've

these ladies, heard them interviewed, seen their talents on display.

The judges have decided, and now, this year's winner, from La Jolla, Mid

Hill!

the Padres. I'm Temple Hill, Channel 3 News.

Good evening. The pre -dawn quiet was shattered this morning in a Mirren Mason

neighborhood when a man kept a police at bay with a shotgun for nearly an hour.

The SWAT team was called in when a young school bus driver barricaded himself in

his home, refusing to obey a bank eviction order he felt was unjust.

Don't tell me they're going to make a martyr out of him.

Until this morning, Stephen Belinsky was an ordinary working citizen like you

and me, a widower, father of a six -year -old girl.

When a lien holder ordered a quicker -than -usual eviction and Balinski

find an ear for what he called his grievances, he fought back.

Balinski will be the subject of my in -depth report tonight at 11.

I don't believe it.

Making a cause out of that pig.

Well, I haven't waited this long to lose it now.

You want something done about it?

Let me just put it this way. I don't want to lose any sleep wondering if

Hill's in -depth report is going to get in my way.

This is the kind of assignment I enjoy, Mr. Cameron.

I trust you'll handle it with your usual creativity.

And more than my usual thoroughness.

There'll be a bonus in it, Fisher.

Good.

Great job tonight, Miss Hill. Thank you, Al. I'm glad you liked it. I always

take my break when you're on.

Good night.

Hello? Al, is that you?

What the hell are you doing here?

You all right?

Is this your idea of a joke trying to scare the daylights out of somebody?

What are you doing around here this time of the night?

Well, I just happened to be in the neighborhood.

Brown.

This has to do with Brown, doesn't it?

That man can't leave well enough alone. Come on, don't hang him without a trial.

He cares about you.

His ego's all bent out of shape because I went around as authority. No.

Come on, Temple.

Look, at least listen to what I say, all right?

Temple, wait.

Just answer me one thing.

If everything is so peachy, how come you're so edgy?

Your office, tomorrow morning. I'll give you 15 minutes before work, and it

better be good.

Yo, Temple.

I'm parked around the corner. Could I get a lift?

Get in.

I can't believe my own lover hired... Spanking alfalfa to babysit me.

Come on, Temple.

Being pretty rough on the guy, let's look at it from his side.

I spent 24 hours researching Stephen Belinsky. I talked to the man for three

hours. He was a perfect gentleman.

The worst thing I could find out about him was that he went on some kind of a

jag, a bender for two weeks after he lost his wife.

But that would make anyone flip out.

Town loves you, Temple. He's worried about you.

A .J.

If loving each other with all that there was, Brown and I would have been

married a long time ago.

Besides, do you think I rest easy thinking about the people he associates

every day?

True. That Nixon is a dangerous character.

Yeah. But he's not a crook. No.

Guys, cut the jokes. If I wanted a low -risk occupation, I wouldn't have gone

into news.

I tried to explain that to Brown, but there's some things in his background

he hasn't quite overcome yet.

Things that make him think that I should spend my time cooking and raising

babies. Temple, you just took a large and intimate step into the life of an

individual who put two cops in the hospital.

Let's give town a break, okay?

Yeah.

But you two guys, I don't want you popping up everywhere I go, shooting at

bush that moves.

Okay, Temple, when you're right, you're right, and you're right.

Thank you. So we'll work as a team.

What? You heard me. We'll work as a team.

Now, you said Balinski thinks he's the victim of some kind of conspiracy here.

If that's true, three of us will find it out a lot quicker than you working by

yourself. Agreed?

Well... And if Towne's right and Balinski is a little loose in the

it's not going to hurt anything to have it hanging around.

What do you say? Deal?

All right, only because I need this proof fast.

Do you mind if it's urgent?

Go ahead. Go right ahead. Help yourself.

Just slam the door when you leave, and be sure and call us before you leave the

station, okay?

Okay. You gonna tell town we're working with a young man?

I think discretion is the better part of valor.

Charlie. Yeah?

Temple, be careful.

Who is this?

Those things he says about someone being after him.

They're true.

Someone very powerful wants to see him hurt.

I watched your report last night.

And I'll tell you what I know.

Maybe you can help him.

Okay.

I'm listening.

You don't understand.

I'm taking a very big risk in talking to you at all.

I'll need to meet you.

I'm afraid I don't work that way.

I'm sorry.

Did you call me?

What did you say? Did I call you?

I called you a harebrained bimbo for coming around here.

I'm about to close up. You better get out of here before I can't hold him

anymore.

Linsky's boss showed up at the end of the school bus route.

Said the parents were calling to complain.

Fired the guy cold turkey.

Telling you, Rick, your heart would have bled for the guy.

He stood there and he watched his livelihood slip away just like his son.

Even if no one's harassing him, he's on a bad roll.

Well, I think his story might not be so far -fetched after all.

That loan officer at his bank.

Lovely young lady. We're having dinner next week. Big Bruce Springsteen.

Rick? I was getting there.

She confirmed that his repo was just within the legal limits.

No grace period? Mm -hmm.

Maybe someone at the bank was bribed. Maybe.

I then paid a visit to his insurance company.

Met another lovely young lady down there, Julie. Dark hair, blue eyes. Will

cut it out?

You don't have a romantic bone in your body anymore.

Well, they're putting the fire in his house down as accidental.

They say it started in his workshop.

Oily rags, braid wires, not ours.

That doesn't fit.

I talked to his neighbors. They said he was handy, real handy. Worked around the

place all the time.

That is funny.

Julie said there were a lot of other fire code violations, too.

There's a reason they canceled.

Want to take that word for it?

No more than you do.

Thank you.

Homework.

Right little kid.

How do you spell gorgeous?

J -U -L -I -E.

I tell you, the more I see, the more I think Temple may be right.

I'd like to go into town's office a little bit more than your hunch.

Let's see what code in here. This could be violating.

Hey!

Hey!

You got people in here?

I don't think that's going to help.

No, I know.

Oh, my God.

What are you doing? Trying to kill him?

What are you talking about? I was trying to save your lives.

What did you set the fire for?

Me?

Why would I want to burn down my own house?

Because it's not your house anymore, pal. If you can't have it, nobody can,

right? Okay, back off.

I saw a car driving away. I don't think the guy did it.

I saw the smoke. I broke in to help.

I came over here to get my daughter's homework. She left it here and got in

trouble at school.

She worked on this for three weeks.

I helped her look up the words.

In Washington, D .C. today, Senator Aldous Westminster, 73, entered a not

plea to assault charges filed against him by a patron of a Georgetown saloon.

The plaintiff claimed that Westminster punched him in the nose, knocked him

down, and challenged him to a duel.

In entering his plea, Westminster alleged the man called him a lousy liar,

said he sort of brushed up against the fella, and he just fell over.

Yes. Mr. Fisher's on the line. Not now. I can't be disturbed.

Giles, Lieutenant.

Inside. Close the door.

Please.

I want everything you've uncovered about Stephen Belinsky.

May I ask why? Because he nearly killed the Simons today. That's why.

I've heard the story, Brown.

There is no proof that Steve set that fire.

He was there.

The courts have a name for that. It's called circumstantial evidence.

The man of the wacko temple, a stretched out nutcase. I don't believe I am

hearing you say this.

You have been bombarded by the dark and seedy underside of the human race for so

long in here, you're beginning to lose your judgment. You're getting very

cynical, Brown. You're getting hard.

Why do you think I'm upset about this?

You think it's an ego thing or something?

The truth?

Yeah. Yes, I do.

Well, think again, lady.

I started this because I was trying to save your life.

Now I find out this guy nearly cost me two of the best friends I have.

So your reason's a personal, huh?

What about yours?

This is no longer human interest.

Crimes have been committed here.

Arson and attempted murder.

This is no longer in your area. It is now into mine.

Just wait a damn minute here since when is crime not news?

When a news person interferes with the enforcement of the law.

Tell that to Dan, rather.

Oh, come on, Temple.

Brown, since the day we met, I've wondered when this is going to happen.

When our careers were going to clash.

When your badge and my camera broke us up.

Temple, I think this man should be behind bars.

Now, you tell me what you've learned.

Tell me what you know.

Don't make me go for a subpoena.

Goodbye, Lieutenant.

Thanks for the flower.

I'm going to lose him, Cecilia.

I'm going to lose Brown.

He loves you, Temple. I think it would take a lot to... If Stephen Balinski

a criminal, I would be the first one to help convict him.

But we're talking about a man who's had his life ripped away from him piece by

piece.

He lost his wife.

He lost his home. He lost his job.

They're even talking about him losing his little girl.

Everybody is against him.

Except you.

I've known you a long time, Temple. You're a very principled person.

Do you think you could live with yourself if you gave the story less than

best?

I just can't stand the thought of Brown not being in my life.

The woman is one bullheaded piece of work.

She's actually going to make me subpoena her for the DA's case against Belinsky.

Is that the way you treat someone you love?

She's not doing it to you, town.

Know what I was going to do this week? No.

I was going to take the woman to Chez Rosine.

Order some Chateaubriand, a bottle of Beaujolais.

No, I can't stop you. Of course I don't.

I was going to ask her to marry me.

I don't even care if I ever see her again.

Is it as bad as all that?

Oh, I don't know, A .J.

You ever know anyone who's cared as much about their work as she does?

I can think of one person, yeah.

Superwoman. She thinks she's some kind of beacon of truth out to enlighten the

minds of the people.

Sounds good to me.

Yeah, if it's directed right, yeah.

How do you see her, Tom?

As the most wonderful person I've ever met.

Someone I like to settle down with.

Someone who makes me madder than anyone else on this planet.

Perfect. Match made in heaven.

Listen, I got something else for you to put in the hopper.

I am pretty sure that Balinski didn't start the fire.

Talk fast.

License plate I saw going away from the scene.

Traced it back to a company car registered to a guy named Jackson

You know him?

Yeah. Out -of -town talent.

Hobbies are fracturing femurs. The same.

Now works for a local developer named Miles Cameron.

The Miles Cameron?

Bay City Mall?

Mission Bay Shopping Center? Ain't no other.

When I checked the bank the other day, I found out there's just one bidder on

Steve's repossessed house.

Mile Cameron.

Aloha. You win a free trip to Tahiti.

I have quietly bought up nine houses in that neighborhood, and they've got

another three in escrow.

How'd you find all this out?

What, you think you're dealing with a couple of amateurs?

I've got a friend in national title.

Dee Dee?

Big Dee Dee?

Big Dee Dee.

I thought you told her you'd move to Nova Scotia. Yeah, I did. I did. I came

back. It got cold.

Guys, would you quit joking around?

Sounds like somebody did try to run Balinski off his place.

Mm -hmm.

And the temple may be right.

Mm -hmm.

Boy, I'm in a deep now.

Mm -hmm. May I use your phone? Mm -hmm.

Ah, Izzy.

Wait a minute.

Did either of you guys play Cupid and send her some flowers?

Flowers?

I did.

You can forget my ever going back.

You don't understand.

It's gotten worse for Steve. Now they really have to come after him.

What are you talking about?

They know that you and your private eyes are trying to save him. They're

worried. They can't risk the truth coming to light.

Mr. Cut the BS.

If you have something to say, just say it.

You can't just barge in.

Why, it's nice.

Oh, hi, Mr. Cameron, Rick Simon.

Just who the hell do you think you are?

Eh, you know exactly who I am.

And I'll tell you what I'll do. For, uh, 100 grand, I won't bid against John

Steve Belinsky's house.

And I won't blow the whistle on what you've done to him.

Debbie, get Fisher to come and throw Mr. Simon out.

Well, now, if he does that... I'm going to go straight to Temple Hill at Channel

3 News with everything I've got.

Thought I'd give you the first shot. I figured you paid better.

It's all right, Debbie.

We know all about the property purchases you've made on the 700 block in Mason.

We know that your agents made offers to Steve Balinski, which he refused.

Oh, yeah, and I can place your man Fisher at the scene of the fire at

house yesterday.

And I'm pretty sure that his little girl could ID the car as the one that

followed her home from the school bus stop.

I don't hear a guilty verdict in any of that. No, not yet. There's more.

There's the zoning variance that you've quietly applied for.

It's going to be an office building, shopping mall.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Something too expensive to let a little nobody like Steve Belinsky get in your

way.

There's only one thing that we haven't quite completed yet, and that's the

of evidence between you and his bank and insurance company.

Whoever it was that you paid off to yank Steve's house out from under him.

But the people are in there, Cameron.

And people can be persuaded. They can be bought. They can be...

I'll get them.

And when I do, your little project is going to be history.

And you just might be, too.

Well, let me tell you about Steve Balinski.

I came up with Mason Avenue as the ideal spot for a shopping center two years

ago.

The community needed the influx of jobs and money.

Yeah, you're just a regular philanthropist, I know.

Well, I was with Steve Balinski.

At least I tried to be.

Here, look at this.

I started the bidding at $65 ,000 for his place.

Not great.

Well, it's not terrible, right?

Anyway, we declined.

I went to $80 ,000.

$100 ,000.

$110 ,000.

Still, there's no loss as he's got to sell.

Hell, he turned me down at $175 ,000. Now, that's twice market value.

I got thinking maybe he's doing this for that kid of his.

So, I sweetened the offer.

See, I agreed to pay for that little girl's tuition all the way through

Any school in this state.

Still think I'm the bloodless ogre, huh?

Well, maybe not a bloodless one.

I am a human being, too.

Successful? Sure.

Relentless?

Occasionally.

But stupid? Never.

And a criminal? Hell, I don't have to be.

Look, I was glad when they evicted Balinski, but I sure as hell did nothing

cause it. He brought that on himself.

How? Because he's a lunatic.

I mean, the man is dangerously unbalanced.

The agent.

Who delivered my offers was a woman named Dorothy.

Bright young woman. Came to my company right out of high school.

Well, he didn't just turn down the offers.

He took it out on Dorothy very intensely.

I mean, just as if she was the one trying to buy the place.

I mean, verbal abuse, sexual innuendo. Oh, come on.

You want verification?

I'll have her up here in five minutes. She will tell you herself.

And then she'll tell you about the break -ins.

Break -ins? Someone started rifling her apartment.

They never took anything.

They just rearranged her belongings just enough so she'd know someone had been

there going through her things.

Her personal things, if you know what I mean.

No proof it was Bolinski.

Proof? Well,

not courtroom style, but we knew.

Oh, there was one other strange thing. He always left her flowers.

Roses.

AJ.

Where's Temple?

At work. We called her. She checked out for the afternoon.

I'll call a pager. I've already done that.

Well, she hasn't called me. What's up? Come on. We'll explain on the way. Nick,

grab me a car.

Promise not to scream. I'll take off the gag.

Explanation, Steve. What the hell are you doing to me?

I'm sorry.

There was no other way.

They're looking for me, and I had to figure they'd be following you, hoping

you'd lead them to me.

They?

Who are they, Steve?

Was it you who called me?

Of course.

I always call you.

Tell me while we're up again.

You knew it all the time, didn't you?

Knew it?

Us.

We're always supposed to be together.

Even when what you told me was bad or evil.

You had that magical way of making it seem all right.

I grew to depend on you after Molly died.

And you were always there for me.

Dave, you were watching me on the news.

Oh, come on. We both know better.

Do you mind?

It's our home now.

Do you think we can be comfortable here?

I know you have the money to buy it back from the bank.

Of course.

Just like you had the money to bail me out of jail.

It worked so perfectly.

Just like I planned.

You planned, huh?

Who do you think called your station to report the incident?

I even told the editor you'd want to cover it personally.

Where are you going, dear?

No! Don't!

I can see I'm going to have to teach you some things.

I like my other wife.

That's why she had to have that accident.

Brake lines.

They really come loose so easily.

But you know your place.

You know how to please me.

And what you don't know, I'll show you.

That's the only way we'll really be happy together, isn't it?

Isn't it?

I love the way you look.

Your eyes.

Your body.

I especially love the way you look in your bathing suit.

You brought it with you, didn't you?

I've got one for you.

Why don't you go get it?

I'll put it on.

We know one of us should have been with Temple at all times, but the plan to

hook Cameron took both of us.

Yeah, and so what if he turned out to be innocent? I mean, how are we to know?

Besides, I mean, look at the bright side.

The two of you realize how much you love each other, right?

Yeah.

Exactly.

So here, what's this?

Three days at your usual rate.

Plus a generous allowance for your expenses.

Forget it. No, don't be ridiculous.

Who's being ridiculous?

We've got early reservations at Chez Rosine.

Little Chateaubriand.

Little Beaujolais. You know the rest.

Bonjour, amigos.

Bonjour, amigos.

This way, my sweet.

Nice shooting, guys.

Uh -huh.

Two points.