Original subtitles

[soft music]

I would have to say thatwe are looking forward

to a very good quarter, especially

considering the Atwater deal.

But I'm sure that Mr. Sterling would like

to fill you in on that himself.

Dennis!

Oh good, you're here.

Hi.

You haven't by any chanceseen Mr. Sterling, have you?

BARBARA STERLING: Well, the summer months are

absolutely out of the question.

I've already discussed this with your lawyer.

Barbara, please.

[inaudible] weekend.

[nervous laughter]

It has been tomorrow a year.

Uh, do you think that youcould encourage Mr. and Mrs.

Sterling to come join us?

I'm sure that he would love to say hello to Mr.

Masahiro and Mr. Takamara.- Sure.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

[sigh]

It's nothing.

Barbara, this is a company function.

Oh yes. I'm sorry.

Excuse me.

I've forgotten, I'm here to put on a show.

What a lovely couple, the Sterlings.

Excuse me.

I guess it was just too much to ask.

Tell Alicia to handle it.

I'm going home.

Goodnight, Barbara.

Thank you for coming.

[engine starting]

Trouble in paradise, huh?

I'm amazed she evenagreed to show up tonight.

He moved out of the house over a month ago.

She threw him out?

Let's just say he chose to leave.

Really?

[explosion]

[dramatic music]

[theme music]

THEME SONG: I feel a beaton the street tonight.

The lights are bright andit feels all right tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night.

And I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night.

And I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And it feels so right.

Hot.

[dramatic music]

Chick Sterling never went to college.

He chose instead to serve hiscountry by joining the army.

After achieving an exemplary record,

after proving himself to be a leader of men,

he went out to make hisway in the business world.

No one started lower than Chick Sterling,

on the shipping docks working 12-hour days.

When he was 23, he waspromoted to shipping manager,

his first step on his way up the corporate ladder.

[soft music]

His was not a career born of--

of bloodlines or education, but--

but a career born of his own sweat and tears.

It's a common plastic explosive,

unsophisticated but effective.

We think this was a timer that's activated

when you start the car.

A timer.

Why a timer?

Well, it's a moderntechnique developed in Miami.

It keeps valet parking attendants from being

blown to smithereens.

So what you're saying, thiswas done by a professional.

Oh, yeah.

And a high-priced one.

Thanks.

No, there'll be no further statements

until after the analyst meeting.

[buzzing]

Yes, I want to be updated on thestock moves every 20 minutes.

And tell Osaka I will be back on with them

at 10 minutes past the hour.

[buzzing]

No, don't keep the policeinvestigators waiting.

Send them right up.

You wanted to see me?

Yeah, I just wanted to tellyou it'll be business as usual

even though Chick's no longer with us.

Really?

I'll be running the officefor the next few weeks

until Osaka makes a decision on a successor.

[buzzing]

I'll be back to them in one minute.

And then I'll need to touch basewith the analysts at Shearson.

Any idea who that successor might be, hmm?

[SIGHS] Look, I know how you feel.

We've all had to face ashocking and violent tragedy.

Dennis, it may not have always seemed like it.

But Chick Sterling was the best friend I had.

But someone's got to run this place.

Yeah, sure.

Don't move anything up here but my chair.

DENNIS BOOKER: I can't believewhat's going on around here.

I mean, Chick Sterling was murdered.

Hasn't anyone stoppedand asked themselves why?

Well, the police have been here all day.

They've been talking to everybody.

You know what?

I'd think they'd shut down fora day, an afternoon, an hour.

An hour!

No, they had their minuteof silence this morning.

Yeah, over the PA system.

It was very moving.

You know, when I first camehere, I was real nervous,

you know?

I thought anyone who workedfor a big corporation had

to be some sort of robot or something, you know?

Yeah, I thought that, too.

I never thought I would work in an office.

But after a while, you--

you kind of make friends,becomes sort of a camaraderie.

But after today, I--

Hey, you know, company's justpeople when you get down to it.

I guess it just feels morelike a corporation today.

Hey, are you OK?

Yeah, I'm fine.

I just got a lot of questions, you know?

DETECTIVE: I got some news for you two.

The boys and girls in the labspent the last two days going

over the bits of the wreck.

There's only one thing they can't find.

Chick Sterling.

So what you're sayingis Chick wasn't in the car

when it exploded.

Hey, read my lips.

No one was in the car when it exploded.

Well, wait a minute.

Then what's going on?

Insurance fraud.

Probably got a girlfriendsomewhere waiting to collect

the $5 million policy.

Well, you think maybe he skipped town,

started a new life, what?

DETECTIVE: That happens all the time, kid.

I mean, bad marriage, trouble at the office--

why not just disappear, start all over again

in Fiji with a gorgeous woman?

Be my dream vacation.

I don't know.

That doesn't sound likethe Chick Sterling I know.

DETECTIVE: Well, maybe you don't know him.

I mean, maybe he's a guywith a Swiss bank account

and a little imagination.

I just can't believe--

What, that your boss might be a crook?

[sigh]

I don't get it.

You said you saw Chick get into the car.

Yeah, but I didn't actuallysee him get in the car right

before the explosion.

So maybe he could have duckedout the other side of the car?

Maybe.

I don't believe it.

You think this guy's right?

I mean, you think Chick's really a crook?

I don't know.

I thought I knew the guy.

But now I don't know what to think.

Pull up any information youcan find on Chick, all right?

Mm-hmm.

I could check his life insurance policy.

That's a start.

Why don't you check his bank accounts, too?

Maybe he was looting from the company.

Maybe he had a business enemy.

Maybe he was cheating on his wife.

Where you going?

I got something I got to do.

[dramatic music]

[knocking]

I'm-- I'm Dennis Booker.

BARBARA STERLING: Yes, I know who you are.

Please.

Mrs. Sterling, Chick wasn't in the car.

How do you know that?

I just came from the police station.

You don't seem surprised.

They're saying hecommitted insurance fraud.

They're calling him a crook.

I think you'd better leave.

I think you better tell me what's going on.

Mrs. Sterling, you can trust me.

But I can't help unless you tell me the truth.

[dramatic music]

You know, it's really interesting

attending your own funeral.

You see who shows up, whoyour friends are, who cries.

DENNIS BOOKER: How canyou be so callous, Chick?

All right, relax.

I called Barbara right away.

She knew I was all right.

I've been trying to find out who did this to me.

You know, somebody wants me dead.

All right.

What happened in the car?

Well, I sat in front ofthe restaurant for a while.

And I thought about Barbara.

I knew I'd been a jerk.

So I got out and wentback inside to apologize.

I was halfway through thedoor when the car exploded.

So I ducked into the john, realizing it would

be a mistake to show my face.

And then I decided it mightbe safer to stay dead.

For how long?

Huh?

Do you have any idea who was trying to kill you?

As crazy as it sounds, I think it

might have something to do with a mission I

was sent on in the army.

What kind of mission?

I can't tell you that. All right, look.

There are reasons why I didn't go to the police.

I need a little time here.

Please don't ask me to tellyou the story unless I have to,

because if I'm wrong, it's notsomething I'd want to come out,

all right?

Let's just call it a need-to-know basis.

Chick, I can't help you unlessI know the rest of the story.

Can't tell you about the mission, all right?

What I can tell you is this.

There were four of us involved.

And one of us, Danny Burke,died about a month ago

in a swimming accident.

So?

So?

He was an expert swimmer.

So you figure you were next.

It's a little paranoid.

But it makes sense.

What about the two other guys?

Carl McQueen.

He runs the local jewelry mart.

He's very successful.

We're on a lot of the samecharity committees together.

He's a great guy.

You'd really like him.

All right, what about the fourth guy?

Steve Campbell.

I've been trying to track him down.

I think I've finally located him.

Somebody said he's a pro ata country club in Maryland.

Let's give him a call, OK?

[SIGHS] Well, OK.

What is it?

He was hit by a car a week ago.

Hit and run?

No plates on the car.

We got to find Carl right away.

CHICK STERLING: Not bad, huh?

It's pretty cool.

You ever get this thing over 55?

You really enjoy playingthe rebel, don't you?

Well, I'm not one for the system.

Yet you were a cop.

Isn't that the ultimate cog in the system?

Well, it was either that or become a crook.

Then why do you stay at [inaudible]??

Sometimes I ask myself that.

I guess if you're going to fight the system,

you have to have a system to fight against.

[LAUGHING] Of course, themoney's not too bad either.

Yeah, well, beats a cop's pay.

I bet you've got every dime we paid you, hm?

Well, let's put it this way.

I live pretty cheap.

Well, you don't have to.

I mean, you don't have to wearthe same pair of blue jeans

until they wear through the knees.

You don't like my jeans?

I love your jeans.

I love your leather jacket.

I wish I could wear a leather jacket to work.

Yeah, right.

No, really.

You know, when I was your age,I made a pretty good wage.

Yeah, my rent was like $68 a month.

I had no responsibilities.

I didn't have a care in the world.

You're telling me that you were

happier when you were at thebottom of the food chain.

Yeah, right.

Well, let's just say life was simpler.

Well, I really appreciate this.

I mean, you could've justas easily turned your back

and walked away.

It's nothing, man.

That's him.

All right, stay in the car.

[dramatic music]

Mr. McQueen?

I hate this.

Don't.

Please don't-- don't-- don't--don't take another step.

I'm not going to hurt you.

Chick Sterling sent me here to find you.

Chick Sterling's dead.

No, he's not. He's out front.

He told me all about you guys--

Campbell, Burke, the army, everything.

Carl!

[laughter]

Thought I told you to stay in the car.

You look good for a dead man.

Don't I now?

CARL MCQUEEN: God, man.

I got some bad news about Steve Campbell.

They got him?

Yeah.

DENNIS BOOKER: All right,we got two dead soldiers

and two live ones.

You guys want to tell mewhat the hell's going on?

Chick.

I think we'd better tell him.

Basically the four of us sort of--

the four of us were thieves.

Did we leave that door open?

No.

[eerie music]

Come on.

Would you watch where you're going?

It's been a while.

[clattering]

OK.

[dramatic music]

[machine gun fire]

Stop!

[gunshots]

Go!

You all right?

Yeah.

The old training really came back, didn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

[tires squealing]

He's gone.

Nice piece of work, boys.

Yeah, he's floating in the pool.

Look, run a check onXavier Enriques, all right?

Then meet us back at the loft.

Thanks, Elaine.

Let's go. - Where?

Some place where you guys can spend all night

explaining yourselves.

Let's go, let's go.

CHICK STERLING: Here? DENNIS BOOKER: Yeah.

CHICK STERLING: In this building?

DENNIS BOOKER: Yeah. Come on, Chick.

There you go.

Nice.

You think we'll be safe here?

Not unless you start telling me the truth.

What exactly happened onthis secret mission, Chick?

Huh?

And why are people trying to kill you?

We can always go back to the beach house, huh?

It was '63.

It was the middle of the winter at Fort Dix.

Carl, Burke Campbell, andI-- we were all sergeants.

None of us knew each other.

We came from four differentparts of the base.

It was Thursday. - No, it was a Friday.

Right, Friday at 6 o'clock.

We were told to report tothe CO's office for orders.

It was a routine assignment.

The four of us had to delivera shipment of military manuals

to a contact man in Miami,Cuban freedom fighter who would

use the books to train his men.

Why would it take four guys, right, to deliver

some books to Florida, huh?

We had 24 hours to make it.

We were told to take turns driving.

And the rendezvous was set for Saturday night.

Besides, who was going to question

a free trip to Miami Beach?

It was 20 below in New Jersey.

[WHISPERING] 20 below.

And we had a hell of a time.

[LAUGHING] Yeah.

That trip made us friends for life.

Yeah, however long that's going to be.

So what happened?

[soft music]

We went, um--

went straight to the contact point.

We were supposed to meet a man there

named Ricardo Flores, 1900 hours on the beach.

We rolled in right on time.

And there was no sign of them.

CHICK STERLING: We decidedto settle in for the wait.

We even sent Carl out for some supplies.

CARL MCQUEEN: A black manalone in a liquor store

in the deep south in 1963.

You know, now that was a lot of fun.

Did I ever-- did I ever thank you?

[laughter]

Anyway, yeah, we waited all night.

And Flores never showed up.

So we-- we had to be backat Fort Dix on Monday.

And, uh, we left the next morning.

That's it?

Not exactly.

Uh--

That night on the beach, well, I

guess we had a little morerum than we should have.

CHICK STERLING: Burt and Campbell,

they kept eyeing the box, kept wanting

to know what was really inside.

Well, half a bottle later,we were convinced to open it.

Carl tried to talk us out of it.

We didn't listen.

CARL MCQUEEN: We found thebooks, just like the CO said.

But there was something else, an envelope.

So you know, we had gone this far.

So, you know, we had to open it.

CHICK STERLING: There was $10,000 inside.

Probably a little spending money

so Flores could operate inthe states for a while, right?

Yeah, that's what we figured.

And since this guynever showed up, we, um--

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

You guys took the money?

You stole $10,000 from theUnited States government?

[LAUGHING]

All right, look, it was all Burke's idea.

You know, he and Campbell thought

it was a foolproof plan.

We tell the CEO that Floresfailed to make contact

and the Jeep was stolen, books and all.

So you were sent to protect something

and you stole it instead.

We didn't think Uncle Samwould miss $2,500 a piece.

Booker, I was 19 years old when this happened.

Hey Chick, you're the one who's always telling

me to play by the rules.

You remember all thoselittle talks in the office?

You remember those?

CHICK STERLING: I'm asking for your help.

[knocking]

[dramatic music]

Come on in!

[screaming] - Hey, it's me.

It's me.

Why didn't you say so?

You didn't ask.

Elaine Grazzo, this is Carl McQueen.

Carl, Elaine.

Mr. Sterling, it's good tosee you alive and not a crook.

I wouldn't be so sure of that.

All right, Booker.

Just-- we had a little problem here.

Which the police could probably handle,

since the statue of limitationshas probably ran out.

You guys will probably justhave to give back the money.

Booker, please.

Don't worry, Chick.

She's not going to rat on you.

No, of course not.

What'd he do?

Look, it's not about the money.

Now, my reputation is the onlything I have that's valuable.

One childish mistake couldembarrass me and my family

for the rest of my life.

This guy's not going to help us.

Can we get out of here?

Wait.

Wait.

Those two guys at the beachhouse were Cuban, right?

Did you recognize anyone?

No.

How about you, Carl?

Me?

No.

All right, that means all we've got to go on

is a dead guy.

Did you come up with anything?

Yeah, he's-- he was Cuban.

He works for some big crime boss named Flores.

Ricardo Flores?

Yeah, that's him.

All right, you guys stay here, all right?

Now I'll check this out.

ELAINE GRAZZO: Yeah, that's it.

Tropicana Club.

Flores kind of uses it as his headquarters.

Good.

It's a public place.

I can talk to him in the open.

You think you should just walk in there

without an appointment?

How do you make an appointmentwith a Don in the Cuban mafia?

Listen, you wait here.

If there's trouble, youdrive away as fast as you

can and you call the police.

I can't come in?

It's not exactly your type of place, Elaine.

Oh come oh, Dennis.I go to clubs all the time.

[LAUGHING] Not like this one.

You wait here, all right?

Yeah.

OK.

[lively music]

Nice to see you again.

Want to take another shot, huh?

My quarrel is not with you.

What is your quarrel, Flores?

Have you ever been to prison?

Once.

Me too, only it was for 25 years.

And it wasn't one of yourAmerican country club jails.

Castro saw to that.

What does this have to do with Chick Sterling?

He put me there, him andMcQueen and Burke and Campbell.

I gave the cockroaches and my cell their names.

Then I would step on them.

Your friends-- they sold me out to the policia.

And then they stole my money.

Yeah, well, he told me you never showed up.

And it wasn't that much money anyway.

Only a little man kills for money.

$150,000 means nothing to me.

$150,000?

I kept my empire strong,even through the bars.

I had my nephew Eduardolooking out after my interests.

$150,000.

I want revenge for the 25 years

in my life I couldn't comein here to watch the show.

And you just helped me get it.

[music playing]

DENNIS BOOKER: Come on, come on, answer!

Why don't they answer?

They don't know it's you.

[explosion]

[sirens]

[radio traffic]

Dennis, it's not your fault.

Well, maybe if I'd have been more careful,

they'd still be alive.

Booker.

[gasp]

Mr. Sterling.

DENNIS BOOKER: Chick, what the hell happened?

We posted a sentry right after you left.

I spotted somebody suspiciouscoming into the building.

So we went out the back way.

And then the whole place exploded.

DENNIS BOOKER: All right, listen.

Stay down.

We've got to get you out of here before they

find out that you're alive.

Listen, Elaine, I'm going to drop you off

and you'll get a cab. - OK.

Chick, we're going to find someplace

safe where we can talk.

Man, I thought you guys were dead.

[engine starting]

[music playing]

Chick, either you start telling me the truth

right now or I'm goingto personally deliver you

to Flores, all right?

Booker, I swear I've told you everything.

What about the $150,000, huh?

What?

Flores said there was$150,000 in that shipment.

That's ridiculous.

I don't know what he's talking about.

Do you?

Do you, Carl?

I didn't know it would hurt anybody.

I swear, I didn't.

Carl, what are you saying?

Huh?

How?

It was easy.

That night that Burke and Campbell sent me

to the liquor store, oh, don't think I didn't

know how they felt about me.

I was just some dumb lackey to them.

You guys even had me ditch the Jeep.

I got tired of beingtreated like that, Chicky.

Carl, I never treated you like that.

You turned out different.

I didn't know that back then.

Anyhow, you guys went into town and left

me alone there on the beach.

And I'm sitting there thinking how I'm

going to get rid of this Jeep.

I looked up and saw someone coming.

It was a Cuban.

I thought I was a dead man.

Contact had finally arrived.

And there I was with anempty trunk, $2,500 in cash

of his money in my pocket.

I decided to play it cool.

The guy went straight for the trunk.

He started removing themanuals layer after layer.

And he finally reaches down.

And he comes up with something.

It was a gold bar.

Gold?

There was gold under the books?

10 gold bars, $150,000 worth.

It must have been some kind of payoff.

The governor was buying a service

from the Cuban mafia, which they didn't

want anyone to know about.

What, a hit on Castro?

Well, they were always trying.

Whatever it was, it didn't happen.

Flores went to prison instead.

And he thinks you guys sethim up with the policia.

Did you, Carl?

No.

No.

Chick, I was just a kid, man.

Besides, it wasn't Floreson the beach that night.

It was his nephew Eduardo.

The guy from the beach house.

Yeah.

He said he wanted to make a deal with me.

Eduardo gave me threegold bars, $50,000 worth.

And all I had to do wasnot tell anyone I saw him.

I took the deal.

You cheated us, huh?

You let Burke andCampbell die over $50,000.

I almost died because of you, too.

No, Chicky. Chick.

Hey, man.

Believe me, if I thoughtthe truth would have helped,

I'd have came forward a long time ago.

How could you do it, Carl?

I was scared, man.

I was afraid you'd turn me inif you knew I took the money.

Besides, I-- I needed your help.

Listen, it doesn'tmatter anymore, all right?

Eduardo's still out there looking for us.

Eduardo.

Yeah, he the one that sendFlores to prison 25 years ago,

only he's got the old man believing

it was the four of you.

With the four of us dead, the old man

will never find out the truth.

That's right, unless you proveto him that it was Eduardo.

You think Eduardo will show up?

Once he finds out Carl's alive,

he won't miss another chance at him.

OK, 1:00 AM at the beach.He'll be there.

So will we.

Carl, look.

I know how you feel.

You sure you want to go through with this?

I got us into this.

Let me get us out, all right?

What about the police?

Flores will never agree if he smells a setup.

We've got to do this on our own.

[soft music]

[dramatic music]

[car door opening and closing]

I, um--

I brought the money.

I swear, I don't want any trouble.

Just take back the money.

It'll be like we've neverseen each other, OK?

You stupid then.

You're stupid now.

Wait, wait.

Haven't I proven I can keep a good secret?

I won't tell the police.

I won't even tell your uncle.

I can even help you.

I'll go to Flores myself.

And I'll blame it on the other guys.

I'll beg for forgiveness.

That way, he'll never know that you're

the one who turned him in.

You'll be in the clear for good.

Yeah, but with you dead, hewill never, ever have a reason

to suspect me, will he?

That was your nephew, Flores.

CARL MCQUEEN [ON RADIO]:Just take back the money.

I don't want any trouble.

EDUARDO [ON RADIO]: Give me the keys.

They keys!

[speaking spanish]

DENNIS BOOKER: Flores!

[speaking spanish]

Get down!

[gunfire]

[yelling]

CHICK STERLING: Carl!

Carl.

Carl.

Carl.

Carl.

Oh god.

It should've been me.

You should've let me do it.

[YELLING] Damn it!

[quiet sobbing]

MAN: Sergeant Sterling,the government has no idea

what you're talking about.

There was never a mission like you describe.

And there are no records in Fort Dix or any place

else, for that matter, pertaining to the orders

you say were issued.

Wait.

This guy just confessed to you a theft

of $150,000 from theUnited States government.

I mean, confessed it.

Never happened, son.

I think we understandeach other now, don't we?

Thanks.

For what?

Well, it's been a longtime since I've seen my dad,

you know.

These past couple of days has made me feel

like I've had a father again.

It's been kind of nice.

You don't know where he is?

Split when I was a kid.

I haven't seen him since.

You miss him, huh?

Yeah.

I didn't think I did.

But yeah, I really do.

I bet you miss Barbara.

Yeah.

Have you talked to her lately?

No.

When it's over, it's over.

I don't know.

I mean, she was really worriedabout you when I saw her.

- She was? - Yeah.

I think the thought of losingyou really shook her up.

Really?

Yeah.

You know, maybe you oughtto give it a second chance.

I don't know, Booker.

Well, at least you have a home to go back to.

Listen, maybe your placeis salvageable, you know?

A little paint, some new furniture.

Chick, my building is being condemned.

So you're going to need a place right away, huh?

Well, unless you don't mindme bunking at the [inaudible],,

yeah.

Listen, why don't you stay at the beach

house for a while, huh?

If I'm going to start over with Barbara,

the place is going to be empty.

No, I really can't.

Just until you can find another place.

I shouldn't, you know?

What? You don't like?

What's the matter? - It's great.

It's a great house.

It's not because of that.

Then it's settled.

Here.

Just temporarily.

Yeah, of course.

Thanks.

You got it.

[music playing]

Chick.

Yeah?

Uh, how about the Porsche?

What about the Porsche?

It kind of goes with the house, you know?

[laughter]

Absolutely not.

How about on weekends?

No.

- How about every other weekend?- No.

I don't believe you're asking me this.

- I'll pay for the gas.- Here, you want my coat?

Take my coat. [interposing voices]

Huh? What do you want?

[theme music]

THEME SONG: I feel a beaton the street tonight.

The lights are bright.

And it feels all right tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And I'm ready tonight.

It's a hot summer night.

And it feels so right.

It's a hot summer night.

And I'm ready.