Original subtitles

The girl in cell 14 has been murdered.

That guy must've had nerves of steel to walk

into a police-department cell block and gun down a suspect.

How about everything else? Moving along smoothly?

Smooth as glass, sir.

Stow it, McCloud, I wanna start hearing

a little less of that horse talk and I wanna start seeing

a little more police work around here.

How many men in that precinct house?

You make it sound like we're going into battle.

We are.

What is this, a siege?

What else can go wrong?

[explosion]

[theme music]

[siren wailing]

[music continues]

[siren wailing]

[instrumental music]

[indistinct chatter]

Elton: One thing I gotta say about you, Shannon.

You're first class all the way.

I've never been out with a wine this old before.

Shannon: Manny's got good taste. Elton: He sure does.

[door shuts]

Oh, how you doing, El?

Hey, I thought you'd be on your way to training camp by now.

Look, Manny, it's not what you think.

Shannon and I are just friends.

Hm, good friends, I suspect,

and connoisseurs of fine wine as well.

I bet I have but a few bottles

of '59 Lafitte left, have I, Shannon?

- You better go, El. - No! No, no.

You two finish your wine.

I'm not staying.

We'd better talk, Manny.

There's nothing to talk about. You'd be outta here by morning.

I'm planning to have this place re-done.

Uh-uh. You don't dump me, not like the others.

It seems to me you made the choice. I'll be seeing you, El.

You keep up the good work, on the playing field, that is.

Shannon: I'm not one of your dumb bimbos, Manny.

I got names and numbers, and they're all written down.

What did you say?

I said you're not gonna dump me

like one of your used cigars. I got insurance.

A little black book with everything that goes on here.

What do you got in the little book, Shannon?

A roll call, people, places and events,

that'll make jail doors slam

and heads roll from here to the coast.

A little insurance for my future.

As of right now, baby, you ain't got no future.

Alright, let's see that book and see what you've been up to.

Alright, come out of there. You're not going anywhere.

Manny: Shannon, come out of there!

Hey, man. Hey. This ain't none of my business.

I'm gonna get outta here.

No, you're not thinking clearly, Elton.

If it's in that book that you even know me,

you are finished in professional football.

[intense music]

Come on.

[gunshot]

[groans]

[gunshots]

Elton: Shannon! Shannon!

[groaning]

How bad you hit?

Want my uneducated guess,

I need a doctor, but quick.

Hey, man, I gotta split.

Now, don't leave me. Take me with you.

Manny, I can't even be seen with you.

For God's sakes, Elton, at least take me to a hospital.

[groaning]

[engine revving]

[indistinct radio chatter]

I don't know why cars break down

just because there's a little heat.

Well, I guess it's the same reason that people break down.

You're not used to it...

Well, the idea of a detective riding around in a marked car

defeats the whole purpose of a detective riding around at all.

Well, you know, Joe, don't you sometimes think that, uh,

people that we're trying to fool by riding around

in an unmarked car are the people that know us anyway?

- It's not the point. - Mm, what is the point?

I want my detective's car back.

[indistinct chatter]

Man on TV: Headlines on today's mid-day news

continue to be dominated by the worst heat wave

New York has experienced in the last 25 years.

As temperatures soar to record heights,

spokesmen of the two power companies

say that blackouts are imminent.

And I just wonder at what point

it all comes tumbling down on us.

I keep thinking we've exceeded our capacity to maintain order,

but somehow we still manage.

Remember that old rule of thumb in the police department?

The worst time in this town used to be

a Saturday night in August.

That was when the heat drove everybody from the Ghettos

out into the streets till all hours of the night.

Why, we'd have more knifings, assaults, rapes,

robberies and murders in one night

than any other month of the year.

Well, you can't go by that rule anymore.

Look out there, every street in the city is a Ghetto

because we have chronic power shortages.

They turn off the lights, the crime rate goes soaring.

Shut down the air-conditioners, tempers go flying.

And law-abiding citizens become mobs.

Oh, I don't know what the answer is, Grover.

[door opens]

Uh, chief, Captain Patterson

wants to see you at Headquarters right away.

It's about the deputy commissioner.

Oh. What is it? What's happened?

Well, we think it's probably just the heat,

but it could be a heart attack.

[instrumental music]

[vehicles honking]

Woman on radio: ...75, there is a traffic warrant.

[indistinct radio chatter]

We haven't had a break in four hours.

Yeah.

Man, I don't know how you do it.

You're the only dude in Manhattan

that isn't withering away in this stuff.

Well, I guess it's all what you're used to.

This just good skiing weather back home.

Man on radio: Unit 4-1-1. Unit 4-1-1.

Dispatcher central.

- Here we go again. Man on radio: Code 8-2.

2-4-2-0-1, Second Avenue.

[siren wailing]

[tires screeching]

What have you got?

Um, not much more than what you see.

This guy was apparently dumped in front of the hospital here.

- Dumped? - Yeah. Looks like it, Joe.

You can see where the tips of his shoes are scuffed,

trail of leather leading to the curb

where the car must've pulled up.

Well dressed.

- Any identification? - Haven't touched him.

Figured you detectives wouldn't want anything touched.

Medical examiners on the way, huh?

- I don't know. - You don't know?

Dispatch said they're so far backed up

it could be the weekend before they get to us.

So what do we do, just build a walkway

over him in the meantime?

Well, things are sure crazy.

Cinkowski darn near delivered a baby in his radio car.

Yeah, well, you check him for ID, huh?

If dispatch says it still looks bad,

we'll have the officers move the body to the trauma room

and the medical examiner can look him over there.

Guess we got no other choice.

Traffic jams everywhere,

and worse is in the peak hours.

Patterson: Students at Columbia going wild again.

Clifford: I could use some of that energy.

Patterson: Yeah.

Bunch of robbers holding about ten hostages.

Been a hold-up for about three hours. Touchy situation.

While I'm upstairs, filling in for the deputy commissioner,

I'll be looking to you to step in here

and be my right arm in the Situation Room, Pete.

Alright, Bill.

Just how bad off is the deputy commissioner?

Ah, we don't know, and he didn't get much of a break

in the emergency unit.

Do you realize the wait right now on an ambulance

is 20 minutes in Manhattan?

And in Queens it's almost 40 minutes.

And a man could die of old age

before you could expect any help in Harlem.

Do we have enough personnel in dispatch?

No, we have all we need to handle the incoming calls.

We just don't have enough people to respond,

not with half the city crazy from the heat

and no means of relieving it.

Well, how soon do you want me to step in?

Immediately, take whoever you can spare

from your department to help you here.

Leave someone you can trust in charge.

He's not gonna have an easy time of it, Pete.

But then nobody is until this heat breaks.

Come on, Mary, I ain't got no time to call no matron

and I don't wanna touch your person.

Well, you just try and I'll break all your teeth.

Let's get it on, you guys.

We haven't got all night

to book one lousy pickpocket.

Well now, unless I'm mistaken,

that little object the Queen Mary just threw at me

was the missing bottle of perfume.

Book her.

Art.

Besides walking in here with the best-looking dame

I've seen in this precinct in 15 years, what have you got?

- Isn't that enough? - Not in this heat.

We caught her running at First Avenue

like wild dogs were on her tail.

Running is not a crime.

In this heat we figured she had to be in big trouble.

We offered to help, you know,

New York cop helps lady in distress.

Helps beautiful lady in distress, you mean.

God help her if she looked like Queen Mary over there.

Alright, Grover, the point is, we flashed our badges

and she started running faster

than she'd been running in the first place.

- Naturally, we got curious. - Then what happened?

Or is there no end to this fascinating tale?

Then we caught her and we talked to her.

Grover: And? - And nothing.

No kidding. Well, we'd better get the DA in on this.

I'll mention she's cute. I'm sure he'll come right over.

Alright, I'll get to the point.

She wouldn't tell us her name, her address,

her telephone number, nothing.

She wouldn't tell us where she was going

or where she'd been coming from.

That also is not a crime.

Maybe she doesn't like cops.

Or somebody else.

There's fresh blood on her dress.

[intense music]

10-4.

[indistinct radio chatter]

Two bullets in his chest, no ID.

When's the medical examiner gonna get here?

He's not, dispatch says to have the radio car

arrange to transport the deceased.

We got three more calls to roll on.

[indistinct radio chatter]

[instrumental music]

- Where are we heading? - Well, take your pick.

We got a family squabble on Ninth Avenue,

a possible burglary on 14th Street

or Bellevue Hospital, a walk-in gunshot victim.

Well, there's something about the way

this car's headin' towards Bellevue

makes me think you wanna handle that one first.

Curiosity, I guess.

The victim is, uh, Elton Packer, all-pro.

[intense music]

You understand, Mr. Packer, we have to ask

all the routine questions.

Hey, hey, man. I understand.

You got a job to do. Fire away.

Elton: I shouldn't have said that.

You know, I really didn't think that guy'd use that gun.

Well, what did happen? From the beginning, if you don't mind.

Well, it doesn't take long to tell, marshal.

Ah, I was getting out of my car, thought I'd get me a cool beer

at this little bar on Second Avenue.

- This cat motioned me over. - With his gun?

No, I didn't, I didn't see no gun, you know, not yet.

It was more like autograph time.

You know, you get used to scratching your name down.

Before I knew it, he was asking for more than my autograph.

You gave him your wallet?

[chuckles] That's-- that's,

that's the part I hate to say out loud, you know,

someone who's liable to pass it on.

This report is confidential.

Oh, well, the idea of Elton Packer getting robbed or mugged,

man, that was just, that was too embarrassing.

So I pulled the bush play of all times.

- You tried to disarm him? - Yeah, you could say that.

And that's like throwing on fourth down

from your own end zone. He blitzed me.

Any witnesses to this assault?

I-- I didn't see anybody.

Soon as he fired the gun, he took off.

I guess he was more frightened than I was.

And, uh, I didn't see anybody around,

so I jumped in my car and rushed right over here.

I didn't know how bad I was hit.

Can you give us a description of the assailant?

Oh, yeah.

Well, he was on the, I can say, on the short side,

and, uh, he had dark hair.

Black, Caucasian, Oriental?

He was, he was white, but he had dark hair.

- You know what I mean. - What kind of clothes?

Well, they were kinda old, messed up.

- Color? - Um...

Mm, white shirt and khaki pants.

Can you give us an idea when this happened?

Well, marshal, I've been here 40 minutes, an hour.

Took me about three or four minutes to get here.

- You figure it out. - Around two o'clock?

- I guess that's about right. - Mm-hmm.

Well, I guess that just about does it, huh, Joe?

I sure appreciate your time, Mr. Packer.

Oh, one more thing.

- I got this kid nephew. - Oh, oh, yeah?

Oh. What's his name?

Harvey. Harvey Bullock.

Uh, one more thing, Mr. Packer, uh...

You must've come down Second Avenue to get over here.

No, I came across 34th. Why?

Well, I just thought maybe that you might have seen

something that could be of help to us.

There was another shooting victim in the same area

about an hour ago.

Oh, man, I didn't see nothing.

I was too busy rushin' to get here.

Hey, listen, I hope the guy's alright.

You know, it's no fun getting shot.

Well, I think he'd agree with you. He's dead.

Thanks again, Mr. Packer.

[door shuts]

[indistinct radio chatter]

What was that all about?

Well, Joe, if that man in the hospital bed

had been anybody except Elton Packer,

you'd be asking the same things I am.

What things?

I'm talking about coincidences.

Two gunshot victims a couple of blocks apart,

all in the same general time period.

There've been 35 shootings since this hot spell hit town.

You said it yourself, coincidence.

Well, back home we look upon coincidences

in a homicide case just about the way we would

a stranger have come to sell us something.

[engine revving]

[instrumental music on radio]

Hey, Manny?

Manny?

Hey, Manny!

[radio turns off]

Manny?

Manny?

[dramatic music]

We made enough off the past season to buy the whole hotel.

You tell 'em we'll come in, but only on our own terms.

That's it.

That was the Vegas deal.

They want a piece of our action so badly,

we'll be able to call our own shots.

- That's great. - Maybe.

I'm not so certain why we bother moving into Nevada.

Football betting is a license to steal.

It's amazing how a man who wouldn't think of putting

two dollars on a pony's nose will bet his wife's wedding ring

on the Miami Dolphins and brag about his winnings in church.

What's the matter?

I'm not sure, but, uh,

apparently, we have a little problem with Manny Donner.

What kind of a problem?

[intense music]

- What is it? - What's left of a bullet.

I found it in Manny's apartment.

What does he have to say about it?

Manny's disappeared, but from the blood stains

that I found in the apartment bedroom,

I, I think the bullet did a lot of damage.

Now you listen to me, Chet.

If Manny Donner or anyone else is mixed up in anything

that would jeopardize my position in this organization,

I want them cut off and buried. Clear?

It's clear.

[instrumental music]

Oh, sergeant, Chief Clifford'd like to see you

in his office right away.

What did we do now?

Well, I think she said that he wanted to see you, Joe.

So, how's it goin', McCloud?

We don't see enough of you around here.

Well, I figure they sent me to New York

to see how things are done in the big city.

Not to sit around in the station house shuffling papers.

You're all business, aren't you?

Only when I'm on duty.

Hey, you know, there is a way that you can help me.

If you'd do me a favor, we could work together, maybe.

- Just name it. - We got us a body coming in.

I wonder if you could see it gets to the right department.

- A body? - Yeah, right.

It's supposed to go into the auxiliary trauma room,

but you know how things can get misplaced around here.

McCloud, I don't handle bodies.

Well, you don't have to handle it, just see it doesn't get lost

before the medical examiner gets here.

Klein and Baker will be bringin' it in.

I'll be making out a preliminary report

in case you need me.

- Two points. - McCloud...

Come in, Broadhurst.

I am moving temporarily to Front Street

and I'm taking Grover with me.

- You and Grover, sir? - Right.

Well, who'll be running things around here?

Well, I'm leaving a man in charge

who's been deserving of an opportunity

to prove himself for a long time.

Well, I'm sure whoever you appoint will do a good job

and I'll cooperate in every way, sir.

Stow it, Broadhurst.

No time for humility. It's you.

You mean that, sir?

You know of any sane person

who's making jokes in this heat?

- Only McCloud. - I said sane person.

Now you're trying to tell us that you bought

some lamb chops at the market

and they dripped all over your dress?

[chuckles]

Lady, you wanna know something?

In this heat, I'm inclined to wanna go along with your story.

Now, why wouldn't a lady

who, apparently, likes little lambs as much as you do

tell the nice policeman your name and address

so we can do a little routine check and send you on your way?

Dearie, you don't give us any choice.

Inform her of her rights and book her.

Okay, I got the dress. You guys wanna leave the room?

Shake her down good, don't miss anything.

Hey, look, I gotta go to the ladies' room.

- Would you mind? - Stay with her.

- Polk, you go along. - Come on.

When you get that dress, send it on up to the lab.

Maybe they can tell us what kind of meat the lady likes.

What do you think?

I think I'm glad I'm not gonna have to be around

the rest of the day.

This department is my baby, Joe.

When I get back, I expect to find it

in the same condition I left it.

I'll take good care of it, sir.

I know you will.

One more thing. One last bit of advice.

Everything changes when you get to be the boss.

You have no more personal friends,

no buddies, no sidekicks, that's the way it has to be.

I understand, sir.

Good luck.

[instrumental music]

You too, sir.

[door shuts]

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

Hey, Joe! Just heard the good news.

I'm just as proud as an old hen with a two-dollar rooster.

Stow it, McCloud.

I wanna start hearing a little less of that horse talk

and I wanna start seeing a little more police work

around here.

From now on, this is the Alamo

and there is no back door.

Now, you have a homicide report to make

and I've got a department to run.

I just, I just, you know--

Simms is looking for you, McCloud.

Get going, McCloud.

And, sergeant, from now on I'll expect you to knock

before entering my office.

Yes, sir.

Did you say your office?

Norton, don't you have anything better to do

than stand around asking dumb questions?

Close the door after you.

[instrumental music]

Not bad.

Gladys. Gladys, Gladys, would you do me a favor?

Would you tell the Queen Mary that if she doesn't come out

of there in two minutes, I'm gonna use tear gas on her?

I'll tell her, but I know what she'll say

you can do with your tear gas.

Ha. Would you look at this?

I graduated third highest in the history of the Academy

and here I am, guarding the ladies' john.

Why don't they show this kinda garbage on television?

They'd see what a cop's life's really like.

Any news on that riot in the Bronx?

Yeah. We lost.

Alright, honey, strip it off,

down to the false eyelashes.

[dramatic music]

[toilet flushing]

[dramatic music]

It's all a big joke to you, isn't it?

Like she said before, officer,

we just don't know what you're talking about.

Hey, what's the matter with the air-conditioning

in this place, anyway, huh?

Hit-and-run, McCloud.

- How bad? - Old man, 65.

Hospital says he's in bad shape.

Did he finger 'em?

Hasn't regained consciousness yet,

but they don't deny being in the car.

So what's the problem?

No one will say who was driving.

Now, we can hold all three, but not for long

without bringing charges.

[sighs] Well, I guess we'd better

split 'em up and go to work.

Okay, you take one girl, I'll take the other,

And we'll save the joker for last.

Alright, come, move it.

This place is turning into a sweat box.

I invest $250,000 in a Fifth Avenue apartment,

the air-conditioning doesn't even work.

It's like that all over the city. It's been on the news.

One of the big power generators went out.

They're asking people to cut back.

Well, let somebody else cut back.

I want this system back on.

I don't think we can swing that.

Then go out and buy three or four of those portable jobs

and get them up here now.

[sighs]

Wait a minute, before you go,

what's happening on Manny Donner?

Why haven't I heard anything?

Well, we haven't been able to find him.

I checked out all the hospitals, discreetly, of course.

- But so far, nothing. - What about girlfriends?

He's always got some little bimbo on the string.

- Shannon Taylor. - Who?

Shannon Taylor. That's his latest.

Something kind of funny about her, though.

What do you consider funny?

Well, maybe it's not so funny, but I picked up on a rumor

that she's hanging around with one of the players.

Chet, you'd better not be telling me

this problem of Manny's could now involve a player,

because you know what the consequences of that would be.

Well, it's just a possibility.

One of our players?

Elton Packer.

And I suppose he's disappeared as well.

Well, as a matter of fact, we've been looking for--

Chet, this little situation is going from bad to worse.

Now, the next time you walk through that door,

I wanna hear that you've located this missing legion

and that there's no chance any of their problems

are gonna wind up here on my doorstep.

[intense music]

[sighs]

That hole you're digging for yourself

is getting deeper and deeper, miss.

The lab says it was human blood.

Now you know we're gonna start running comparison' tests

against assault victims.

Why don't you save everyone a lot of trouble

and just tell us about it, huh?

Maybe we can help you.

Maybe it was self-defense.

Am I allowed to make a telephone call?

Ma'am, you can make several if it means

we can start getting down to business,

like, for instance, your name.

Do I have to tell you my name before I make a telephone call?

No, ma'am, you do not. Come this way, please.

Then when I was 42, I took to robbing banks.

Not big banks, you understand.

- Uh, just, uh, little ones. - Mm-hmm.

You can call it off, Sam. We got everything we need.

The other girl spilled everything

and the boy supports her story.

McCloud: And? - They both say she was driving.

Well, if they want me to be their martyr, so be it.

Take me away, boys.

You guys really didn't think I'd fall for that?

Nice try.

Ladies.

Your turn, pal.

And now as I understand the law,

you can't keep us in this holding area

for more than 24 hours

without bringing charges against us.

- Is that correct? - How do I know, wise guy?

Do I look like Perry Mason? Come on, move it.

- How are you today, Mary? - Blow it out your ear.

The same to you, my darling.

Yes, this is Dan Kiley. I don't think I've had the pleasure.

Are pay telephones in jail tapped?

No, not if it's a pay station.

How'd you get my number?

The same way I got the rest

of the information on you.

Listen, I'm in trouble and

you're gonna get me out of it.

Now, why would I wanna do that?

Otherwise I take you and all the others down with me.

You know, the ones, the ones that put you through the hoop.

Presuming for the sake of argument that were possible,

what kind of trouble are you in?

I killed Manny Donner.

[door shuts]

And what do you want me to do about that?

Shannon: I, I wanna get outta here with enough money

to get away from you and your organization as I can get.

- How much do the police know? - Nothing. Not even my name.

Honey, they have to be holding you for something.

Well, I was running and they stopped me

and they spotted some blood on my dress.

- But it's not Manny's. - Not Manny's? Whose is it?

[sighs] Elton Packer's.

Ah, listen, I can't talk any longer.

You better get one of your best lawyers down here and fast.

What's the booking number?

I'll see what I can...

[line disconnects]

[sighs] Manny's dead.

- Who told you that? - The young lady who killed him.

She wants our help. The police are holding her.

- Oh, geez. - You hear from Elton?

Well, we've looked everywhere, we haven't found him so far.

He may be dead, too. Apparently, we've got a psycho on our hands.

- That was her? - Shannon Taylor.

She's threatening to tell the police about our operation.

How much do you figure she could know?

Well, Manny liked to shoot his mouth off, but even so,

I don't think she could piece together enough to hurt us.

She pieced enough together to get my private number.

Now what else could she know?

The names of some of the players

we occasionally set up with a broad,

give a little trip to Vegas.

Since she knew Packer, she probably knew

what kind of information we got from him from time to time.

You know, no big deal, just enough inside dope

to occasionally affect the point spread.

No big deal?

If they ever find out Elton even knows us,

then he's out of the League, and it's the last time

we get any information from any player in the pros.

Inside dope on injuries is not exactly fixing the game

or trimming points, you know?

You convince the commissioner.

Football betting is the biggest gambling operation

in this country.

One tip on whether or not

a quarterback is well enough to play

can make us a half-million dollars

any Sunday afternoon.

We've got it made

and some bimbo is trying to unravel it.

Who do you want me to send in there?

Well, nobody who can be traced back to us.

In fact, I think we'd better be prepared

to give Ms. Taylor more than legal help.

[intense music]

It's not my fault that the medical examiner isn't here yet.

In case you hadn't heard, they got a riot

in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a bombing in Times Square

and a complete power blackout in Brooklyn.

Well, what's a power blackout in Brooklyn

got to do with the medical examiner?

I don't know, people just do crazy things

when the television sets and the air-conditioning goes off.

We've had fourteen muggings, two rapes,

a homicide and three burglaries,

and all in the past two hours.

You know what I would like to know?

I would like to know what people did

to amuse themselves before they had televisions

and air-conditioners.

I couldn't tell you, I wasn't working

for the police department then.

Grover: What do you mean the situation is bad?

Are you aware the rush hour traffic is barely started?

[telephone buzzing]

Hold it.

Yeah?

Grover: How many men you need?

Listen, sergeant, all I can tell you at this time is we'll try.

Yeah. Ri..

Right, everybody needs a break, sergeant.

Yeah, I see your point. Just hang in there, huh?

Back to you, sergeant.

Hello?

Thank God.

Are they getting to you, Grover?

No, but am I getting to them.

[telephone buzzing]

Situation room. Grover.

Who is this?

Lieutenant, 68.

Some jerk on the Singer Building wants to kiss the world goodbye.

Looks like we're holding our own on that flare-up

on East 115th Street.

Doesn't look like it's gonna spread

unless there's another incident.

Clifford: Well, let's see to it it doesn't.

How many more units can we spare to patrol that area?

Well, the precincts on the Lower East Side

are already getting pretty thin.

I don't think it's a good idea to spare any

while we still have the blackout.

Power's back up in the 12th precinct, sir.

They've diverted power from other districts,

but they say it's gonna put a drain on Central Manhattan.

So what do they want from us?

This is the police department, not the electric company.

They wanna know if we can start going from door to door

and alerting the people to the crisis.

Can you believe this, Grover?

Every misfit, every felon, every opportunist in the city

is out on the streets looking to make a big rip-off,

they want us to go around unplugging waffle irons.

Clifford: Alright, start checking precincts.

See who can spare a few cars.

[instrumental music]

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

I got you. Right.

I'd like to speak to my client. The booking number is on there.

Your client have a name?

Well, I'd be glad to have that discussion with you

after I've had an opportunity to speak to her.

Alright. Ten minutes.

- Rizzo! - Yes?

Cell 14, the mystery lady.

[buzzing]

[footsteps approaching]

- Inside or out? - Right where you stand.

And don't be more than ten minutes.

Alright.

- Kiley sent you? - Huh?

I'm from an extreme right-wing group

that likes the way you go around shooting up the colored.

- Well, you're gonna spring me? - Why should I?

You threatened to do a lot of real harm

to a lot of nice people.

Elton's nice. Manny was a cobra.

You know what's become of Mr. Packer?

No. I don't think he was hurt bad.

Doesn't dare say anything, he'd be kicked out of the League.

What about you? What's your price?

- A hundred thousand. - How often?

Oh, come on. What do you take me for? Just this once.

How do we know that?

I guess you take my word for it.

It's not much to fall back on, is it?

- What choice have you got? - None.

You've only left us one way to go, Shannon.

[dramatic music]

[sighs]

I'd like to see the detective in charge, please.

My client's decided to pour her heart out.

Fine.

No problem, chief. It's going just fine.

I'm glad to hear it.

Uh, listen, Joe, I'm looking to pick up some radio cars.

Everything's under control here, sir. You tell me what you need.

Well, you better not leave yourself too short.

I'll say, give me two units, you may need the rest.

We're going to have to enforce a power curfew.

A power curfew?

- You wanna wait here? - Sure.

[indistinct chatter]

[knocking on door]

Joe: Come in.

That dame in cell 14, her lawyer's here.

Well, leaving bodies laying around all over the city

just doesn't strike me as being good procedure.

Well, it may not seem very efficient to you, marshal,

but, actually, it's working out quite well.

By this evening we'll have enough for a very efficient run.

What do you mean "an efficient run?"

Enough to justify hauling the wagon

all the way in from Queens.

Now, at the moment we've got three bodies

waiting for us in Central Manhattan

and two in the Bronx. And by six o'clock tonight, who knows?

The cost for transporting each corpse per gallon

will work out quite well.

Oh, the elevators aren't working. It's a power shortage.

- Oh. - "Corpse per gallon?"

Now, look, McCloud, I did not determine

the fuel allotment for our department,

but if we can't run our trucks, we can't run 'em.

Now, until the crisis is over,

there'll be no more individual pickups,

except in cases of extreme emergency.

Well, how dead does a person have to be

before you consider him an extreme emergency?

He was right here.

Now that I'm on a tight schedule,

I generally work with a tape recorder.

But if you don't have one handy,

then a stenographer who can handle

a 120 words per minute will suffice.

[telephone ringing]

Sergeant Norton.

Medical examiner needs some help in the trauma room.

- What kind of help? - Stenographer.

You're a stenographer, ain't you?

McCloud, I'm not going in there.

Sergeant Norton, you don't have any choice.

You're a officer, and you're needed,

so just grab your pencil and report to the trauma room.

- Do you take shorthand? - Nope.

I, Gladys, I just can't do it,

uh, face being in the same room with a corpse.

That's because you're not married.

You should go home to my husband a couple of times.

[sighs]

Man 1: The bullet entered the seventh intercostal space

and exited below the left scapula.

Clean trajectile.

Apparent evidence of severe internal hemorrhaging.

Did you get that, sergeant?

Uh, Sergeant, uh, Norton,

I think it would be much better

if you came over here a little closer.

I am not accustomed to having to shout.

Um, this is where I'm staying.

Take it or leave it.

Really, sergeant, your behavior as a police officer

leaves a great deal to be desired.

Now, look, I think we're doing alright here.

From what I can see, she's getting everything down.

[sighs] It's keeping it down that's the problem.

- Will this take much longer? - Fortunately for all of us, no.

Why, this is just a preliminary.

I'd like to open him up and do a complete autopsy,

but I can't until I get back to the...

Wh-- wh-- where are you going now, sergeant?

Well.. Ahem. Never mind her, just tell me.

Can you get a positive ID on this man?

Well, I can give you a set of his prints now.

- That ought to get you started. - Well...

It would help if you could also

tell me the caliber of bullet that hit him.

Uh-uh. I have to go inside for that.

Be later tonight or morning, I'm afraid.

- Well, do the best you can. - I always do.

In times of duress, police officers

must be prepared to perform functions

that serve the public good,

whether or not it may seem important at the time.

Because we are short on both fuel and cars,

and because the nature of this assignment is such

that patrol cars might be cumbersome,

you will be asked to perform this duty on foot.

Detective Polk will give each of you a radius of blocks

in which you will go from door to door

with the full authority of the mayor's office

and shut off television sets, air-conditioners,

hairdryers, anything that might be considered

an electrical function not necessary to human survival.

What if the people won't cooperate?

Do they confiscate their fuses?

You explain the crisis, most people will cooperate.

But you remind them that you will be checking back

and any failure to have complied in this time of emergency

is punishable by municipal fine.

Terrific.

Just when our popularity was soaring to new depths.

- Oh, McCloud. - Yeah.

I've been going over reports on assaults

within the last 24 hours,

and you're sitting on a homicide that took place

at approximately the right time.

You mean, the fellow in front of the hospital?

- Right time for what? - Well...

We picked up a young lady with blood stains on her dress

running away from something she didn't want to talk about.

Uh, you got a blood type on your victim yet?

Well, that's about all we do have, is B positive.

- Nuts. - Doesn't match?

Not even close.

I'm looking for AB negative, which is pretty rare.

- Hm. - Well, I guess it'll turn up--

Wh-- where did you say you picked this lady up?

I didn't, but it was on Second Avenue.

Well, that's another coincidence.

- Ah? - Where you got her holed up?

Cell 14, but if you can get anything out of her

but her sex and hair color, I'll buy you a beer.

I'd like to oblige you. Sergeant.

[buzzer buzzing]

Cell 14.

Mary: Hi-ho, Silver. Ya-hoo!

There you go.

Ma'am?

Ma'am, my name is McCloud. Marshal McCloud.

I'd like to have a couple of words with you.

[intense music]

Ma'am?

[indistinct chatter]

Get me Chief Clifford at Headquarters.

Joe, could I see you a minute in private?

I'm expecting a call. What's so important?

Girl in cell 14, you know about her?

Yes, of course. She was picked up on suspicion of assault.

- What is it? - Well, Joe...

I just went back there to ask her a couple of questions,

seeing as how she is the third person in a row to be involved

in some kind of a shooting scrape over on Second Avenue.

McCloud, have a heart and get to the point.

The girl in cell 14 has been murdered.

[intercom buzzing]

You hear me, Joe? I said she's dead.

No, you said she was murdered.

Now, how could that happen when she's in jail in my...

i-- i-- in our custody?

You got me. I don't know.

[intercom buzzing]

- Yes? Woman on phone: Chief Clifford.

- On line two, sir. - You want me to leave?

I'll just mosey along, if it's alright--

Stay!

- Broadhurst. - No, no, Joe.

- You were calling me. - Oh, yes, sir.

[chuckles] I just wanted to report that we have

six units out enforcing the power curfew.

Well, that's fine, Joe. I know I picked the right man.

Uh, how about everything else? Moving along smoothly?

Smooth as glass, sir.

Then maybe we can borrow a couple of more units from you.

- A couple more units? Clifford: Well...

If you can spare as many as three, that'd be fine.

I didn't want to ask, this being your first command and all,

but since it's going so well...

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Goodbye, sir.

That's my boy.

- Who knows about this? - Well...

It's pretty hard to keep a thing like this a secret.

Don't you think you should've told the chief?

McCloud, this is my first command.

I will handle the situation the way I know

the chief would if he were here.

Now let's find out what the facts are and get to work.

Well, I'm with you there, Joe.

- And stop calling me Joe. - Sorry, I forgot.

[knocking on door]

Yes?

[door opens]

- Hey. Woman on PA: Dr. Simon..

Hey, Chet, baby!

Now you got a real style.

Everybody else brings cards and flowers, and you bring candy.

[laughing]

Just lovely. Just lovely.

- What's happening? - How you been?

I would have been here sooner if you, uh, had called earlier.

Uh, I couldn't very well talk to you

until they moved me into here. What do you hear?

Honey, take a walk.

Well, I just got here.

You'll be back, darling. I promise you.

Hm.

[chuckles]

I just, uh, came by personally

to tell you that we know what happened.

Oh, but don't worry it.

Shannon has been persuaded to keep her cool.

[chuckles] Hey, man. I knew you'd work things out.

We always do. We want to keep you happy.

Uh, well, listen, things didn't exactly go the way I figured.

I mean, I don't think it's a good idea

for us to see each other anymore, do you?

Well, you know, maybe you're right.

No sense pushing a good thing too far, is it? [chuckling]

- I was hoping you'd say that. - Yeah, we are realists.

Now, you've been good to us, and we've been good to you.

And the most important thing right now is to get you up

on your feet and back in action.

Right on.

Well, as long as you found that book.

- The book? - You did find it?

What, um, what book are you talkin' about, Elton?

Chet, the book that started all the shooting in the first place.

She had it in her hand when she ran out of Manny's apartment.

[sighs] Elton, let me get this straight.

Are you trying to tell me that Shannon was keeping records?

[exhales sharply] Chet,

my eyes were riveted on that book in her left hand

while her right hand was busy pulling the trigger.

That's why I didn't see nothin' coming.

Kiley: Where is it? - Could be anywhere.

But-- but if the police had it by now,

we'd be getting some feedback, wouldn't we?

Unless they haven't gotten around to examining it.

When you think about it, that's a real possibility.

The police in this town are being run ragged.

Suspicion of assault isn't the kind of case

that turns a whole department upside down.

No, but killing a girl in a police precinct is.

Yes. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

We're just gonna have to move fast.

To do what?

Get someone into that precinct

and find out what happened to that book.

Into a police pre...

How are we gonna do that?

Do we have any cops on the payroll?

Joe: I don't want any leaks, we keep it under strict wraps.

- Even within the department. - Yeah, whatever you say, sir.

But we oughta get an APB on that attorney,

or whoever he was.

Oh, that was too slick of a job

to be anything but a professional killer.

- Maybe. - Oh, he's right, sir.

That guy must've had nerves of steel to walk

into a police-department cell block and gun down a suspect.

I mean, I've never heard anything like it in my life.

Yeah, well, my command is already setting records.

McCloud, see how fast you can push

the medical examiner on this.

And you get homicide over here and have them

start interrogating the prisoners.

Well, if the prisoners had seen anything, I think

we would've heard from 'em by now.

Yeah, well, we gotta start some place.

Yes, sir.

Hey. What's goin' on around here?

It ain't even safe in jail.

Mary, you see anything?

Anything that might be of help to us?

Blow it out your ear.

Mary, is that any way to talk to an old friend?

Do you realize how far back we go?

You're right.

Blow it out your ear

is crude and unbecoming a lady like me.

Well, I forgive you.

Now tell me what you saw.

Stuff it!

Uh, marshal? Uh, Marshal McCloud, sir.

- Yeah? - Uh, Scoop Henderson, marshal.

- "Daily News." - Oh, yeah.

Well, I'm right in the middle of something here, son.

Well, marshal, I was wondering if--

- What'd you say your name was? - Scoop Henderson.

- I came down here to cover you. - Cover me?

Yes, sir, yes, sir, and if you just give me a few minutes

of your time, I'll tell you just exactly what I've got--

Well, the trouble is, I'm in a little bit of a hurry.

Well, I don't mind waiting, marshal.

McCloud, the medical examiner just called,

and he can't get here for at least two hours.

And here's the report that you wanted from Bellevue

about a Mr. Packer's blood type.

I hope I copied this down right.

It seems a little odd, AB negative.

- AB negative? - Yeah.

- Sergeant, you're a doll! - Oh.

Uh, marshal, marshal.

Son, whatever it is, it's just gonna have to wait.

Well, can I just tag along with you wherever you're goin'?

- Well, that's, uh-- - Marshal.

I won't be in the way, you know, just,

just let me come along and I'll explain--

Alright, tag along, tag along, but only until I hear you out.

Sergeant, would you tell the chief that

I'm going to the hospital to see Elton Packer?

He'll understand.

Uh, McCloud, I really wanna thank you...

McCloud!

- Where's he going? - Uh, to the hospital.

- What's the matter with him? - He said you'd understand.

I don't understand.

Something to do with Elton Packer.

I still don't understand, he's supposed to be getting

the medical examiner over here for the Jane Doe.

Well, he did, and the medical examiner will be here

in two hours approximately.

Two hours?

What's the matter with Jane Doe?

She's... Never mind.

I thought they only called him in on homicides.

Sergeant Norton, I said never mind.

[instrumental music]

You mind telling me what this all about?

Uh, yeah, it's about you, marshal,

and your visit to New York City.

Naturally, I read the papers like everybody else

and I couldn't help reading about you.

If you're lookin' to make points

around the police department,

you'll begin by not talking

about those newspaper stories.

Well, I-- I can understand them being intimidated

by your resourcefulness, marshal.

- But you do get your man. - Mm-hmm.

And the way you get your man makes for spectacular news.

Well, I don't set out to do nothin' spectacular.

I'm just enforcing the law.

Now, newspapers,

they've got a way of blowin' up a man's size

way out of proportion.

No, I don't think so.

How about the time that those guys knocked you off

the roof of that building with a helicopter

and you hung on all the way across the river

until they set the bird down

and then you captured the whole gang single-handedly?

Yeah, well, that sounds a whole lot bigger than it actually was.

Or the time you cornered that guy in the steakhouse's

stagecoach and you fought it out

galloping down Broadway, that was too much.

That's what the chief said.

Or the time you commandeered

that mounted policeman's horse

and you rode around the traffic jam

to head off the killer in the park.

Now, look, if you're headin' where I think you're headin'--

Marshal, one big story like that about you,

and my career is launched.

No, one big story about me like that and your rear is launched.

Scoop: The Constitution of the United States

guarantees freedom of the press.

Have you ever heard about the law against police harassment?

I thought that only worked the other way.

Well, we're fixin' to change the way it works.

Marshal, all I want is a chance.

An opportunity to prove myself.

I'm not looking to make trouble for you.

- Mm-hmm. - Marshal.

I promise not to write one word

without checking with you first.

Just give me a break.

You know it's not easy to get a start in New York City.

Alright, look, I'll make a deal with you.

When I'm ready to take the lid off the case that I'm on,

I'll give you first crack at the story.

- Hey, marshal-- - But until I say the word...

There's no peeking under the lid,

and there's no gettin' in my way.

And if there is a story to be written,

it'll be written about Sergeant Broadhurst

and the good work that is being done under his first command.

- Do I have your word on that? - Scout's honor, marshal.

Woman on PA: ...ward 18, please.

[chuckling]

Stay there.

Me, too, baby. It won't be long now.

[door opens]

I'll talk to you later.

Excuse me. I didn't interrupt, did I?

Uh, just hanging up, marshal. How you been?

Oh, pretty good. How about yourself?

Uh, beautiful. Just beautiful. Be out of here tomorrow.

Ah, that's good to hear.

Guess you're gettin' off a whole lot luckier

than a few other folks.

I don't, I don't understand.

Well, you know, I could beat around the bush,

play games with you, but I'm just a little bit too tired

and a little hot for that, so I'm just gonna

lay it on you, flat out.

I think the story you told me was a lie,

and I came over here to give you a chance to change it.

Do me a favor, marshal, would you mind telling me

why my character comes up so short in your eyes?

It has nothing to do with your character, Packer.

It's your blood.

[scoffing] Are we talking about

color, cowboy, or what?

I'm talking about your blood type.

It's very rare, and when you go leaving it around,

it's practically as foolproof as fingerprints.

You got the ball. Keep movin'.

Well, I think I'll just lateral it back to you.

The story you told me was a lie, and I'd like to know why.

I suppose, Mr. Packer, it's only fair to tell you that

we're not dealin' with just a simple case of assault.

Right now we're dealing with murder.

Hey, man, this gettin' heavy.

Now, look, I don't know nothin' about no murder.

- What do you know? - I already told you.

No, you left out the part about

a girl being with you when you were shot.

We picked up a girl with bloodstains on her dress,

the lab ties it in to you.

Alright. I lied about the girl.

But I don't know anything about what happened after she left me.

- And that's the truth. - Why'd you lie?

I lied to protect Shannon Taylor.

What do you mean "protect?"

She sort of liked the idea of

running around New York City

with a big, black football star.

Oh, the Apple really swings, but just the thought of it,

getting in the newspaper back home where her folks live,

that turned her all shades of white.

Hm.

Would you mind going over how that shooting took place again?

Well, marshal...

it happened just like I told you,

except, I wasn't alone.

We got out of the car at this little bar on Second Avenue.

We were going in for a drink.

This cat comes at us with a gun.

I guess, her being with me...

I decided to play the big man.

I walked toward him, little creep fired.

I fell back towards Shannon, almost knocked her over.

I asked her to drive me to a hospital.

[scoffs] Man, she panicked.

She just took off runnin' down the street. Just runnin'.

It's awful good-natured of you to lie for a girl

that didn't care whether you lived or died.

Marshal, she's a young chick, you know?

It wasn't exactly a one-sided rip-off.

I mean, I figured her being there

wasn't that important to the police.

Besides, the publicity wasn't good

for either one of us.

Yup. Well, I can see why you'd think that.

Of course, you were obviously wrong.

How's that?

Well, looks like that little man with the gun

was after Shannon all along.

- What do you mean? - She was shot to death.

In the jail cell.

You wanna add anything to what you've told me?

I've told you everything, marshal.

Appreciate your time, Mr. Packer.

Marshal, I haven't done anything wrong.

Then you got nothin' to worry about.

Woman on PA: OR-6. Status check, please.

- Oh, excuse me, doc. - It's Dr. Simon.

And I'm in quite a hurry.

This is official police business.

- Police business? - McCloud.

I'm on temporary assignment from New Mexico.

Well, I knew with this heat crisis they were

calling up the reserves, but that's a long way.

Well, you have a patient here, a case that I'm working on.

He's a hit-and-run victim, brought in this morning.

- Uh, Mr. Satlof. Yes. - Yeah, that's the one.

Now, the detectives weren't able to question him this morning.

- I wonder if I could do it now? - I'm afraid not.

You have a guess as to when it would be possible?

I can give you more than a guess.

Mr. Satlof died about an hour ago.

We got an ID on the body upstairs.

- Which body? Simms: We got two?

Never mind. Let me see it.

"Manny Donner.

Primarily gambling connections,

numbers, ponies, football."

Football?

I got you, Joe. I mean, chief.

I'll meet you there.

Well, it looks like we're about to swing into some action.

Woman on PA: 12-T-14, clear.

[siren wailing]

Stay here.

But I thought we had an agreement.

Stay.

[indistinct radio chatter]

Business is good.

"Chateau La Feety."

That must be an off-brand. I never heard of that.

Must be.

Lipstick on this one.

McCloud: Hey, Joe!

Looks like this is where Donner took the hit.

Better get the lab boys up here, Simms.

Uh, use the car radio, I don't want to disturb

any prints that might be on the telephone.

Check.

Crime of passion?

Man and a woman sipping wine, they have a fight,

she shoots him and splits.

[chuckles]

Yeah, but first she picks him up,

carries him all the way down the stairs,

puts him in the car, takes him to the hospital

hoping that he's still alive.

Well, maybe he could walk.

Or there's another possibility, third party.

Two people sipping wine, third party enters,

bang, Donner goes down.

This third party male or female.

Well, let's say it's male, so he can carry Donner to the car.

Why would he do that if he just shot him?

Well, he's not a killer, he's scared.

Like I said, a crime of passion.

Well, that's possible, but not probable.

What's the girl doing all this time?

Well, she's scared, too. Runs like hell.

- Like Shannon Taylor. - Who?

Shannon Taylor, that's the girl

that was killed in our jail cell.

Where did you get her name?

I just came from Elton Packer.

He told me.

Alright.

We'll show her picture around, if it turns out

we can place her in this apartment,

then Elton Packer is in a lot of trouble.

Yeah, except he was in the hospital

when she was murdered.

McCloud, this is my first day in charge.

Do you mind if we take things one at a time?

It's alright with me, Joe. Just trying to help.

It's going to be hours before we can get a lab team up here.

There's been a rash of burglaries in all those

office buildings shut down by the heat.

Hey, this is homicide, we're supposed to have

priority over burglary.

We're not the only homicide either, Joe.

That's for sure. We got two ourselves.

Why, with this kind of help, who needs criminals?

The system alone will whip us. Seal it up and let's go.

[instrumental music]

What did he want?

And what did you tell him?

Is it me, or is it still hot in here?

Alright, El. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, very convincing. Yeah, good. Fine.

Yeah, do that.

- Fine. Fine. - Packer?

Police came by to see him again today.

- Same ones? - The cowboy.

I think he made the link between El and Shannon.

- Deeper and deeper. - For whatever it's worth...

I think El gave him a very convincing story.

I'm afraid we can't depend on that.

You'd better get in touch with the attorney

who handled Shannon's case.

We'll be needing his services again.

Oh, you don't intend to... Oh, Dan, not to El.

He's such a, he's such a nice guy.

The last human link between Manny Donner,

Shannon Taylor and us.

Sorry, Chet, I liked him, too.

[intense music]

Oh, McCloud, the medical examiner is looking for you.

- And he's fuming. - What'd you say?

I said the medical examiner is looking for you and he's fuming.

We've been waitin' half a day.

- And he's fumin'. - Why's he back anyway?

I thought he finished all he had to do--

Never mind, sergeant.

- Marshal, I was-- - Sit. Would you, please?

- Well, but I thought that... - Sit!

[exhales sharply]

No, two trips in one day

just does not make economical sense, fuel-wise.

If you people would just learn to appreciate

other people's problems.

Well, you see, examiner, the trouble that we're having

around here is getting our criminals and our murderers

to do their work on a corpse-per-gallon basis.

Was there something you wanted?

Um, uh...

Well, yes. A-- as a matter of fact, there was.

I was wondering if I could get some information from you

on the case of the unidentified girl

that was murdered in her cell this afternoon.

What girl? Who are you?

Oh. I'm Scoop Henderson. "Daily News."

Uh, well, I'm working with, uh, Marshal McCloud

on solving her murder.

Solving whose murder?

I told you. The girl in cell 14.

The girl in cell 14 was murdered?

Yes, of course. This afternoon.

Here, in police headquarters, a girl was murdered?

Yes, a-- and-- and I thought that if I could take a look

at her arrest and booking report, um,

well, then I wouldn't have to bother the marshal.

- You know he's very busy. - Hm.

If you knew the kind of day I've had--

Well, we haven't exactly been playin' checkers around here.

Oh, this elevator still isn't working.

- You need another secretary? - Yes, another one.

Not the one we had before.

Well, the pickings are kind of slim around here.

Sergeant Norton. Get your steno pad and pencil.

Medical examiner wants to see you in trauma room

on the double.

- Sit. - Oh, no.

I'm sorry, honey, one stiff's enough for me,

and he's at home waiting right now.

[sighs]

- Sorry. Simms. Simms: Yeah?

Get a set of prints on Packer for the lab boys to compare

with whatever they find in Donner's apartment.

Oh, you might also come up with a photograph on Packer

to show around the apartment building.

An eyewitness or two who could tie him in

with the Taylor girl directly

might help us to get him to talk.

Check. Get right on it.

- Harris. - Yes, sir?

Who is that?

Search me.

What is he doing with the police report?

Oh, you'd have to ask McCloud.

What has McCloud have to do with it?

Well, he's the one who told him to sit over there.

I think he's some kind of reporter.

A reporter? That's all I need right now.

- You tell Mc-- Polk: Joe.

Can I see you for a minute, please?

Interrogation room three.

Oh, come on. Things are screwed up enough.

What could be that bad?

[door opens]

[babbling]

What's that?

That's a baby, sir.

That I can see, but what is it...

[babbling]

Excuse me for shushing you, sir, but I just got her quiet.

And believe me, sir, I've been having an awful time with...

Patrolman Cross was coming off shift

on the door-to-door appliance search.

Polk: He was returning to his patrol car

in order that he might return to the precinct,

and there she was.

The baby was in the patrol car?

Yes, sir. And crying like...

Well, pretty hard, sir, you know?

The windows were open, but, uh,

I don't know, I guess, I guess it was pretty hot.

Oh, yeah, and there was a, there was a note

pinned to the side of the suitcase

that said her name was Maria.

But that's all.

Well, you ask around the neighborhood,

see if anybody knows who the mother is,

or who might have seen anyone put the baby in the car.

Ye-- yeah, yes, my-- my partner is back

in the neighborhood doing that right now, sir, you know?

I mean, I'm going back to help him as soon as I can,

but I figured I'd better get the baby off the street, you know?

Yeah, of course. You did the right thing.

Polk, take the baby. Let Cross get back to the neighborhood.

- Excuse me, sir. - Okay.

Oh, and, uh, get on the phone and see if you can

get someone from Juvenile over here.

That's a very good idea, sir. I'm gonna get on that right now.

Hey!

You wanted to see me, Joe?

- Well, come in. - What's that?

What's the idea of giving a police file to a kid reporter?

I never gave a police file to a kid reporter.

I saw him out there reading the Shannon Taylor file myself,

at Norton's desk.

[sighs]

Joe, I suppose that I'm guilty of leaving the corral open,

but I, I just can't see where anything here

would be of any use to him, leastwise, embarrassing.

- You know what I mean? - McCloud.

That is not for you to decide.

I'm running this department, I'm in command here,

and I will do the deciding for all of us.

[telephone ringing]

Would you answer my phone for me?

- McCloud. - What are you doing?

Answering my telephone? Where's Joe?

Well, uh, to tell you the truth, chief, we are just

jumpin' around here like tics on a, on an angry skunk.

Uh, here, let me put Joe on.

- He's sitting right here. - Chief?

Well, I was beginning to think you'd locked up and gone home.

Now listen, Joe, we're concerned about the Swing Patrol.

We've got an uneasy time in the Bronx

and a lot of juvenile action

in the wake of that blackout in Brooklyn.

- I assume your fort's secure? - Well--

Good. Now, listen, I want to pull out four more motor units.

If you run behind on calls,

you can always thin out the ranks at the station house.

Clifford: Can do? - Yes, sir. Can do.

Good man. I knew I was leaving the department in good hands.

Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir.

Well, I guess you did right, Joe, still not telling the chief

about some of our situations here, I'd--

McCloud, your tone suggests that you don't think I did right.

Well, I will be the best judge of how to run things around here

and I will not be second guessed or have my position undermined

by anybody, and that includes...

[laughing] That happens in the best of families, Joe.

[baby babbling]

Oh, well, uh...

Consider that your next assignment.

[baby babbling]

[chuckling]

[clicking tongue]

The official report says the police picked her up

running along Second Avenue.

They brought her directly to the precinct house for questioning,

nothing was found on her, and she was searched thoroughly.

They found nothing on her?

No book, no diary, not even a purse?

That's impossible. Packer said she had it. He saw it.

Second Avenue is a block away from Manny's apartment.

She could've dumped the book somewhere.

But she wouldn't have. That book was her yellow brick road.

She killed rather than give it up.

Then where is it?

[sighs] I think the key here

is that she didn't expect to be arrested,

so she must have still had it on her

when she was picked up by the police.

- What can you tell us? - Well...

She was picked up for questioning at three o'clock.

They booked her at 4:30.

She was searched thoroughly right after booking.

They found nothing.

So sometime during that hour and a half

she must have stashed it.

Uh, where?

Where else? Inside the precinct house.

Man 2: The bullet entered the seventh intercostal space,

and exited below the left scapula.

[door opens]

Oh. That's it.

That's the last time I let McCloud near me.

Oh, baby. What did he do to you? You look terrible.

"Just a dead body," he says to me.

Well, what a terrible thing to say to a girl.

You wait till I see that big drip of water.

I'll give him a piece of my mind.

If anybody's gonna give him a piece of anything,

it's gonna be me. Where is he?

Don't waste your time looking for that man.

He'll come stomping through here again.

[babbling]

[clicking tongue]

There you go, little lady.

McCloud: What d'you think, Polk? - Looks right to me.

- Yeah. - Well, I'm not sayin' nothin'.

Even McCloud outranks me.

Yeah, I need some, um, pins. You got a pin, Polk?

Rizzo...

Where am I gonna find any pins around here?

Well, never mind. I'll... Here, hold it. Polk, just...

- Hold it there nicely. Yeah. - Like this?

[door opens]

Hey.

[sighs]

What are you looking for now, McCloud? Another body?

[snaps fingers] You don't have any safety pins, do you?

If I gave you any, I'd fall apart. Norton!

The Phantom of the Rue Morgue is back!

Alright, McCloud...

Okay, Polk. Here we go.

Now just hold the corner of the T-shirt there.

Polk: Like this? - Yeah. Can you squeeze it?

Polk: Yeah.

Polk: Beautiful. - That's good.

[clicking tongue]

Now let's get the other side over here.

Okay.

McCloud: Nice and together there, Polk.

Polk: Okay.

[clicking tongue]

- Hey, it works. - Yeah.

You guys did it. I'm really impressed.

Mother McCloud didn't raise no dummy.

Come on, sweetheart, here we go.

Yeah.

Alright, McCloud, I'm putting you on notice.

That is the last time that you're sticking me with the--

There you go. Oh, you'll learn about...

McCloud!

[gasps] Shh!

Hey, Simms, anything come in from the lab boys yet?

I'll check, I've been busy with those kids

on the hit-and-run rap.

- And? - They're a lovely group.

That boy's apparently spent enough time

around City Hall to know that the district attorney

will never go all the way with what we've got.

You mind if I make a suggestion?

Please, be my guest.

Let me work on it while you check with the lab.

McCloud, you've got yourself a deal.

Yes, sir. Whatever you say.

How many men in that precinct house

where they took Shannon?

- Well, that depends. - On what?

Time of day, what's happening in the neighborhood.

In other words, on a late shift, with enough going on,

we might expect minimal resistance.

Minimal resistance?

You make it sound like we're going into battle.

We are.

[laughs] Hey, man, thanks for the escort.

See you around, man, if you're still on the job. [laughs]

Hey, man, how come you don't get your air-conditioning fix, huh?

Gee, wet, man.

Whoo, man! Dig the broads! Hey, baby.

You and me, we gonna boogle tonight, huh?

Mwah. See you later. Hey, man, watch the shirt.

- Man, listen. - Alright.

Make yourself at home, Rico.

Guess you spent enough time in here for that.

Hey, what's this? You got more cells.

It's not the Hilton.

Hey, get that tamale picker outta here.

He's in the wrong neighborhood.

Hey, you better shut up, old lady.

I'm gonna carve my name on your bark.

Blow it out your ear.

McCloud, here it is, the report you've been waiting for.

Everything got wiped clean in the apartment.

The glasses, the wine bottle.

The folks' memories, that's another story.

Packer was a semi-regular there when Donner was away.

Shannon Taylor was, uh, the current permanent resident.

Lot of kids think he walks on water.

Just picking him up is gonna ruin him.

Well, we're cops, Joe. Right now you're the top cop.

That means you're not allowed to have any friends,

even Elton Packer.

McCloud: So we'll see if he'll work with us

and, and somebody else will have to decide

what happens after that.

Pick him up.

[siren wailing]

[intense music]

Woman on PA: Dr. Smith, please report to ward 18.

Mr. Packer is still in 536?

Thank you.

[siren wailing]

Woman on PA: Dr. Simon, you're requested in room 418.

[knocking on door]

Come in.

Elton?

Yes.

Dan Kiley sent me.

Marshal, do you speak Spanish?

Enough to get me around a hacienda.

We have an emergency case. An attempted suicide.

Would you come with me, please? It's urgent.

Simon: It's some kind of poison,

and it would help to know what kind.

We've pumped her stomach, but she isn't responding.

[speaking in foreign language]

Simon: I'm afraid her will to live is not in our favor.

- You know anything about her? - Apparently..

She lives in the neighborhood, she was discovered

in an alley by some kids.

Well, that's not much to go on. You don't even know her name?

One of the boys thought her name might be Gabriella,

but he wasn't sure.

Gabriella.

[speaking in foreign language]

The only other thing I can tell you for sure

is that she's a mother.

- A mother? - A recent mother.

- Few weeks ago, I'd say. McCloud: Husband?

Simon: She wasn't wearing a ring when she came in.

McCloud: Gabriella.

[speaking in foreign language]

Whatever you're saying, marshal, keep it up.

Well, I'm just talking about a mutual friend,

a little girl that's wearing one of my best T-shirts.

[speaking in foreign language]

- You may not have much time. - Gabriella.

[speaking in foreign language]

- Insect poison. Simon: Insecticide!

Nurse, let's give her grains 1/150 of Atropine quickly.

Gracias,Gabriella.

[speaking in foreign language]

You know, the baby was left in my patrol car.

It was in a little suitcase.

Woman on PA: Room number 3, emergency..

- Excuse me. Woman on PA: Emergency entrance.

[indistinct chatter]

- Oh, I can't believe it. - What is it?

He's dead, marshal, they murdered Mr. Packer

right here in the hospital.

[intense music]

A fire in the 1600 block, the jewelry store in this corner

and the alarms on these three office buildings.

- Very efficient. - Hm.

How many men would you project that would occupy?

Rockford: About half the regular working patrol.

The rest of the men will be in the street anyway.

You wanna cover your bet, let me buy you some insurance.

I like to be covered. What's the price?

It's cheap. We put a charge in there.

- Electric company? - It's a support station.

Already limping from the power shortages across the river.

[chuckles] Every cop in the precinct will be out

on the street tryin' to keep order.

Mason: Or they'll be calling in reinforcements.

Look, I don't like to fool around

with the electric company.

We'll go with the pros, Chet.

That's why we pay them the big bucks.

Hey, Dan, this is crazy, I mean,

for instance, we gotta go to war with the whole precinct.

We gotta break in there, we gotta find everything,

go through the whole...

[knocking on door]

- We expecting anyone? - I hope not.

I'm Patrolman Barnes, 23rd precinct.

Mind if me and my partner come in?

Yeah, yeah, come on in. Sure.

Uh, we've been asked by the mayor's office

to come in and check all the...

Oh, now, that's bad.

[sighs] I'm afraid I'm gonna have to...

You, get over there with your friend.

Now, both of you, get down on the floor.

Are you crazy?

I hate to say, but I told you so.

What is this?

It's our ticket into the 23rd precinct.

Grover: That is correct, sir, I'm looking at the monitor

right now.

Well, that's exactly our problem, sir.

It's, uh, Patterson, chief, he can't quite understand

why we have that situation in Harlem.

We're unable to pull anymore men off

from the other precinct, sir.

Yes. One moment, sir.

Uh, chief.

Hello, Bill.

Well, things are a little hectic here right now.

Right, couldn't have picked a better day for me to take over.

Clifford: Well, for one thing, a fire.

No, no, no, our problem there is traffic.

Fire's right on one of the major outbound streets,

so we had to redirect traffic, and, uh, that takes people.

In addition to that, the bank hold-up.

Well, that wasn't my idea, if you remember correctly.

The commissioner's office insisted that

there be no bloodshed, so I think all we can do

is just sit and wait it out.

I agree.

Okay, Bill. Right. We'll keep you posted. Right.

We're just never gonna make it as a bureaucrat, Grover.

You know, you should never tell your superior

you can't do something.

All you tell 'em is that

you've already done somethin'.

Then if it goes wrong, you blame somebody else.

Yes, sir. Uh, there's more on that fire in the 23rd, sir.

Looks like a two alarm at best.

You wanna send in more traffic control?

No. Broadhurst running a tight ship there.

I'm sure he's got all the help he needs.

Hello! Hello! Hello!

- You called, sir? - No, I yelled!

Why isn't communications answering the telephone?

I don't know, sir, I think they're falling behind.

Well, get Sergeant Norton or somebody in there to help out.

Um, Norton's at the drugstore, sir, uh, buying some diapers.

Diapers? Haven't they picked that kid up yet?

No, sir, and we're getting a little thin on personnel.

Ramsey just rolled on a burglary, sir.

- Where? - A jewelry store on 8th Street.

Uh, big place, some expensive stuff.

Oh. What else can go wrong around here?

Sir, Johnson just called in.

There's a burglary in progress at a jewelry store.

We got that call, Norton, it's under control.

Not the one on 8th, sir, This one is on 14th.

- And we've no units free. - What is this, a siege?

Things are getting serious, Joe. We can't answer our calls.

May I suggest we call back the detail

shutting off the appliances and get down

to some serious police work?

Clifford said that was important.

Simms: I know, but we've got-- - Norton.

Would you put down those diapers and

at least look like a policeman?

I must agree with Simms, sir. Things are getting out of hand.

Maybe, maybe we oughta call Chief Clifford, huh?

I will be the best judge of when it's necessary

to call Chief Clifford.

If we can't handle one small fire,

a baby, two burglaries and a couple of homicides--

Three. McCloud just called in on his radio car.

Elton Packer is dead.

[intense music]

Normally at this hour, according to their posted schedule,

there'd be about 20 men in the precinct,

but I just made a swing through about an hour ago

and sounded more than ten.

Mm.

Well, another two minutes, you can cut that in half.

Well, maybe it wouldn't do any harm

to bring the chief up to date.

[telephone buzzing]

- Situation room. Grover. Joe: Chief Clifford in?

No, he isn't here right now.

Joe: Hello, Grover, this is Broadhurst.

Oh, hi, Broadhurst. How's it going?

Fine. You expect him back soon?

Well, to tell you the truth, he's over in the Bronx

to sit in on peace talks.

But if this is some kind of emergency--

Who said anything about an emergency?

Well, nobody. I just thought if it was urgent...

Everything's fine here.

- Just tell him I checked in. - Okay.

Chief's not in.

Joe: Alright, let's get down to business.

Polk, you check out the 8th Street burglary,

and then jump over to 14th and see

if there's any kind of a tie-in.

What did you get on the call to our men

handling the appliance shutdown?

Uh, kind of peculiar, Joe, half a dozen reported

they were at the end of their shifts

with pretty good cooperation

from most people.

Well, what's peculiar?

New Yorkers sticking together?

No. We got a team of officers that disappeared.

We haven't heard from them in four hours.

Oh, great. What else can go wrong?

You know, I wish you'd quit saying that.

Every time you do, the situation seems to get a little worse.

Well, that's just your imagination.

What else can go wrong?

[explosions]

Hey! What...

Alright, everybody get ready.

Right. Okay.

Simms, you and Polk cover the other side of the district.

Watch out for looting and possible panic.

If you have to leave the car,

leave somebody on the radio at all times.

Right, Joe.

[baby bawling]

It's getting down right cozy in here.

Frightening, I'd call it.

Keep cool, girls, this city's been through much worse.

Alright, let's go.

You finally done it. You finally done it, buster.

You turned me against the only home I ever knew.

Rico: What's going on? Mary: Hey!

Alright, calm down! Calm down, body and girls!

There's nothing to worry about.

Alright, right here. You wait on the door.

Any civilian wander, and you turn them away.

Any officers coming in off the shift,

you let 'em in, you take 'em.

Rockford, we agreed to no shooting.

- We said no shooting. - Take 'em any way you have to.

Rizzo: Hey, hey, you guys coming in?

Check with Broadhurst for reassignment.

All shifts are being extended.

Hey, You guys hear me? I said...

Hey, what's goin' on around here?

- Oh! - Hey!

[baby bawling]

Freeze! And drop the gun or I'll blow your head off.

Unit 12 to dispatch. Unit 12 to dispatch.

Do you read me?

Man on radio: Go ahead, unit 12.

This is McCloud, I've been tryin' to call you.

There's no answer, I wondered if you're still on the air.

Man on radio: We're on emergency transmission, McCloud.

Roger. Well, I'm comin' in. Over.

[baby bawling]

[baby bawling]

This is where they first bring you into the station

for questioning and booking.

Come on. Let's go. Come on.

Hey, Broadhurst.

[laughs]

Hey, Rico. What are you doing in here?

McCloud brought me in here

to try to break through into society.

And it worked. Yeah.

Rico: The little doll over there is this one's girlfriend.

It turns out she was driving the car,

but none of 'em own the car.

Yeah, the guy who owns it

is out of town, so they borrowed it.

Well, if it's grand theft, then they're all

guilty of complicity in the felony.

That's right, and according to the statute,

there's no such thing as an accidental death

in the commission of a felony.

So it's manslaughter. It's murder.

- You dirty... - Dirty?

Yeah, that's right, and tough, too.

Come on, blue eyes.

Nice goin', Rico.

It won't mean much when the chief totals up this disaster,

but it's something.

Come on, let's go.

[papers rustling]

How many more of these interrogation rooms they got?

Two, but this is the one they brought her to.

- I'll check 'em. - Where else?

- Where else they take her? - I don't know.

Where do they search the prisoners?

Here, usually,

but sometimes in the ladies' room.

Show me.

Temporarily closed down, pal.

We're sendin' all cases over to the 22nd.

Who's, uh, referrin' it?

Oh, I'm Captain Drummond. What's it to you, pal?

[chuckles] No, no, I'm just curious.

No need to get hot about it.

[gunshots]

[gunshots]

Rockford: Hold it, he's one of ours!

[gunshots]

- I'm on my way in, Grover. - Everything's quiet here, sir.

Power will be back up in the 23rd any minute.

Well, I guess if there are no messages,

you can call it a night, Grover.

Only one message, chief, from Broadhurst.

He was just checking in.

Yeah, he really did a job for me today,

didn't he?

[gunshots]

You realize that's the only precinct in the city

that didn't give me a hard time?

Matter of fact, I think I'll just drop by there

and congratulate him on his professionalism.

[gunshot]

[gun clicking]

[gunshot]

[gunshot]

Hold it! Hold it!

Hey, I don't wanna die! Hold it!

[gunshots]

Stay there!

Ah. Blow that thing.

[gunshots]

There must be at least six of 'em.

- I'm getting out of here. - What about the book?

To hell with the book.

[gunshot]

Don't shoot!

Don't shoot.

Please.

We give up.

[vehicles honking]

[instrumental music]

[groans]

[Clifford grunts]

[glass shatters]

[hammering]

Chief in?

- Chief's in. - Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Right, sir.

Thank you.

McCloud: There you go.

Well, what have we here?

"Manhattan Waterloo" by Sam McCloud?

[chuckles] No, sir. No.

That's, that's what it was all about, chief.

That's Shannon Taylor's missing diary.

- Oh? - Yeah.

- It was for real. - Oh, yeah, yeah.

It's got the names, the dates,

big people, big payoffs.

Gonna have to handle it very carefully.

Oh, you and Broadhurst know

all about handling things delicately.

Looks like you defended this place with bazookas.

Alright, you mind telling me how you managed to find it

when that army they sent in couldn't?

Well, they could only retrace Shannon's steps

on the way to her cell.

And since it wasn't in her cell

or any place along the way,

well, I figured she either gave it to somebody or was stolen.

She's not gonna give it up voluntarily, you know?

Now, you telling me it was stolen from Shannon Taylor

right here in my department?

Well, it was more like lifted

by the shiftiest fingers this side of Times Square.

Oh, Queen Mary.

Right, Rizzo told me that she was in the ladies' room

when they frisked Shannon, so I found it in Queen Mary's cell.

Well, that's a nice bit of police work, McCloud.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

Yes, I'm feeling much better.

Well, uh, what about Broadhurst, sir?

You know, he worked awful hard to do a good job.

- Oh, I know he did. - Yeah.

And I'm giving him new and additional responsibilities

effective immediately.

Oh, and you can, uh,

you can give him the good news.

Well, I would consider that a privilege.

Oh, you can consider it more than that.

You can consider it an order.

The two of you will paint that ready room

from floor to ceiling and you will finish by high noon

or face an early retirement from this planet!

Clear?

Yeah, comin' in like a skunk with a tailwind.

[instrumental music]

[theme music]

[instrumental music]