Original subtitles

You got my money, you find my woman.

You help me out, mama?

Up here, the street is like a drum.

You hit it, everybody hears it.

Maybe you're lying.

Lady, you have left quite a string of bodies over New York City.

New York City is a 24-hour town, but most people work from nine to five.

As a private investigator, I don't keep regular hours, and Belda was constantly

reminding me that the bills were bounding up.

But I didn't mind.

I was looking forward to shutting the office early and spending a romantic

evening with a beautiful doll I met in Pekipse.

She had one of those bodies that made a grown man cry, and I

bought a couple of new handkerchiefs just for the occasion.

What's that?

The afternoon mail.

Three phone bills.

Your dentist wants to be paid.

A flyer from your bookie had a new prospectus.

Respectus, for what?

Manhattan mansions.

It's going up, and I quote, along the magnificent Hudson, Hudson estuary.

What do they want with me?

To invest.

Oh, yeah, how much?

$10,000 a share.

Is that all?

I'll take 25, put it on my credit card.

You don't have a credit card, Mike.

You don't even have any credit.

Where you going?

Home.

And you?

I'm waiting for call.

Well, she better hurry.

They're going to turn off the phone in the morning.

My camera.

Well, hello.

I don't care.

What do you say?

I'll take your pick.

Try and ease it, tell you.

We could even skip dinner.

Yeah, pick up it, eh?

My camera?

Yeah.

I want to hire you.

What a hire, man.

What for?

I want you to find my woman.

Best urban's her name.

And I done traveled 800 miles, so I suspect I won't be taking no for an answer.

All right.

It's down payment money.

How soon you start?

Look, uh...

What's your name?

Malachi Ezekiel George Washington J.

Crown.

But Bubba will do just fine.

Okay.

Bubba?

The office is closed for the night.

And I usually don't take a case until I know more about the client.

Last time she wrote, says she was singing at a place called Dixie Wells.

Dixie Wells?

Yeah, I know that.

Rough joint.

From 137th Street in Harlem.

Where's Harlem?

Up town.

Up town.

And be towards North Star.

One of them rivers on my left.

When did you get this?

Eight years ago.

You haven't seen her since.

Been out of town.

Born business.

Look, Bubba, it's highly unlikely that she'd

still be at Dixie Wells after eight years.

I know that.

But it's a place to start.

I gotta find her.

How did this track of her?

Things changed.

Did she stop writing here?

Yeah.

Why?

If I knew that, I wouldn't need you.

It's been a few years since I've been uptown and things have changed.

Glamorous days at the Cotton Club in the Apollo

have given way to different kinds of attractions.

I thought you said best was a singer.

That's what she told me.

You know what I can find Dixie Wells?

Man asked you a question.

Thank you for the answer.

You talking to me?

Dixie Wells, where can I find it?

It might try a shovel.

I've been under 60 to 35 years now.

Listen fast, a funny man.

I ain't laughing.

And my friend ain't laughing.

Now, Dixie Wells.

Dixie Wells did, man.

And you only took one.

I remember a singer from the old days named Bess Ervin.

Peaches over there.

She's been here a while.

Wait.

I used to hotel on Linux Avenue $50 an hour.

No whips or chains.

And I only do one customer at a time.

Make me an offer.

You know what Bess Ervin?

Bess used to be a singer.

We ain't had a singer in here in ten years.

This woman, Bess Ervin.

She means a lot to me.

Now, this is the last place that you said that she worked.

Anything that you could tell us would help.

We got no way else to turn.

I'm a little hard to hear.

Well, maybe this will clear it up.

I hear you now.

There's a lady who used to be Dixie Wells' woman.

Names hot mama vibes.

She remembers everybody from the old days.

Where do we find you?

She works as a hostess at the three deuces.

120 fish street down from the Apollo.

Thanks, Bess.

You get lonely.

You come back and see me here.

I'll make it now.

He just works to a time clock.

And I didn't punch a car for the day.

Now, who's gonna pay?

Not nice and easy, brothers.

Me and my brother here just want to make a nice, brotherly departure, okay?

She's out there somewhere, Mike.

Bubba.

What were you doing for the last eight years?

Out of the town.

I told you that.

Come on, man.

You can talk to me.

Tell me the rest.

Federal prison.

Atlanta.

What happened?

Armoured car.

Just you?

Some got caught.

Some got away.

Who got away?

Partner.

What's his name?

Betty John.

John Boy Betty John.

Who got the money?

Nobody.

Not one cent.

Things just went bad, man.

The best with you, right?

Did you go with John Boy Betty John?

He took her when he got out, didn't he?

You're looking for him, too, aren't you?

Maybe you owe him something.

I don't give a damn about him.

It's best that I care about him.

I want to find him.

Look, I better go.

They pull me in.

I got big road problems.

I can't go back to the joint again.

Now you got my money?

You find my woman.

Hey, wait a minute.

How do I find you?

You don't.

He

had half a mind that dumped his big bozo, but the truth was I kind of liked him.

So I decided to drop in on mama vibes.

Sorry I was curious as to what kind of woman Bess Ervin

could be to keep this guy in the hook for eight years.

Bad, Mr. Hammer, not bad.

I'm hot mama vibes.

Mama.

Surprised that I know you?

You might say that.

Up here, the street is like a drum.

You hit it, everybody hears it.

Anybody looking for Bess Ervin makes the drum louder.

Know what I mean?

It would be.

Can you help me out, Mama?

Am I drinking with you?

Sure, why not?

Name it.

Uh, Peaky.

Double bourbon and tonic.

On Mr. Hammer.

You know where I can find her, Mama?

No.

Lost track.

You were a friend.

Something?

I'm a private investigator.

A client hired me to find her.

Well, one thing, sure.

People used to look at Bess.

She had that attracting ability, you might say.

Very ambitious.

Had a great voice, among other things.

Come with me.

This is my museum.

Show business.

When Harlem was at its best.

I knew them all.

Count.

Cab.

Satchmo.

This is Bess Ervin.

Oh, she's pretty.

Hey, what are you doing around so early?

Checking on things.

Oh, dig a love, meet Mike Hammer, private investigator.

Diggers in the music business.

So, what do you investigate?

Bess Ervin.

Oh, I haven't seen him in years.

That's what I told him.

Lost track.

Mama, would you mind if I held on to this picture for a while?

I'll make a copy and send it back to you.

Sure thing.

Hey, Mickey.

By the lady, another drink.

Keep the tray.

That's all this.

Well, we haven't been investing our money wisely.

We haven't got any money.

Well, there's an interesting to bet your bond

issue coming out on end-to-cut industries.

Oh, where'd you learn that?

Well, yesterday you thought the ventures were false teeth.

He turned out to be a junior broker.

Well, it's been a romantic evening.

We can't have everything.

Money's fun, too.

Oh, there's a Mr. Love to see you.

Digger Love?

He said he met you last night.

Yeah, thanks.

And there've been no private hours off us before.

It's a thrill a minute, pal.

How can I help you, Digger?

Hey, might be you got this backwards, brother?

Might be I can help you.

Really?

How?

Best serving.

You know what I can find her?

Sure do.

You didn't last night?

It didn't come to me then.

See, Best is one of the best backup singers in the music business.

Oh, yeah.

We just happened to be doing some new stuff in the studio this week.

And that's when I put it together.

Best.

And you're looking for her.

You come up with everything?

Show you right.

I put my people on it.

They found her.

On 145th Street.

Digger, why are you being so helpful?

Oh, man.

I hate to see old friends doing bad.

Talent like that going sour.

I don't know.

Maybe I can help her get a gig or something.

But she won't come on the street till she talks to you.

She knows Bubba's in town.

How does she know Bubba's in town?

Come on, man.

Now you're strolled in a Dixie's place looking for best.

You know, black man, white man, both wearing suits.

Then you proceed to bust up Dixie Wells joint.

Hospitalizes four of the meanest dudes on these coasts.

Holes?

Doesn't these dudes, brother, don't you think?

I mean, somebody won't know who you is.

So why didn't you bring best of the office or call?

Look, man.

Now, all I know is she's scared of your friend Bubba.

Okay?

I mean, that dude was a burning box of dynamite, man.

Pretty soon, come on.

Digger, when do I see best?

How about this afternoon?

I pick you up outside and say, uh... Tuish?

Might be.

Excuse me.

Are you alright?

Are you alright?

It's Peter here on A&E.

Digger love had set me up at the Harlem Bridge, but he was the one who took the fall.

Now he was dead.

I had a debt in my head.

And who was the lady?

The lady in red.

My and my, we do get around.

What were you doing on the 145th Street Bridge?

Somebody told me the catfish were jumping.

Man's dead, Mike.

I want the personal.

A client hired me to find a lady.

And this guy, Digger Love, comes around and he says he can locate her.

That's when things went sour.

Ah, sour!

Man's dead?

You get conked on the head and that's all you're going to tell me?

That's all I know.

Well, if it isn't the Grim Reaper's apprentice, he goes, you go.

Yes, and you better stay out of our way.

What do you know about the dead man, Hammer?

How much except that he's dead?

Oh, you didn't know Albert Digger Love had an alias, John Boy Betty John.

And you didn't know he had a record a mile long, everything from pimping to extortion

and armored car robbery, including a stint in federal prison?

No, I didn't know that.

Oh, and I suppose you also didn't know he gets his rent money from Goldust.

Goldust?

Yeah, Goldust Records.

Don't play dumb with me.

Are you trying to squeeze me, Hammer?

Forget it.

You're not getting anything out of me.

Is he still seeing that shrink?

Who's your client, Mike?

Name's Bubba Clown.

I spent the last eight years in the slam.

I got out.

He came to see me.

He wanted me to help him find his girlfriend.

Where does Digger Love come in?

Out of left field.

He said he knew where Bubba's lady was.

You know anything about this guy, Digger Love or Goldust Records?

Not much.

He owns a big piece of the action.

Not a lot, but enough to keep him straight.

How big is the company?

All the monsters.

You ever hear the speech, Billy Mobile?

Oh, yeah, he's a singer.

Oh, Mike is born a singer.

He's the greatest.

He's got three, four, hit tunes at the top 40.

Did you ever hear this tune, Love's Sick Child?

No.

Can you have a few of ours?

Lately, I've been dreaming about you.

It's nothing new.

I dream about you all the time.

Golda landed Sweet Billy Marvel's Address from Celebrity Service, so I went to pick

up my car and head for the New Jersey Shoreline.

Let's talk.

What is this, your office?

Straight talk.

Alright, let's talk with Digger Love.

That's my question.

He's dead, Bubba.

I heard.

You know, for a man who's not from this neck of

the woods, you sure seem to know your way around.

Done a lot of rabbit hunting.

City ain't no different than the woods.

Yeah, there are fewer trees and more rats.

Alright, let's get to the facts.

You were sent up the river on an armored car robbery charge.

Digger Love had a record too for armored car robbery, among other things.

Back in the old days, he was known as John Boy Betty

John, the same John Boy that took best with him.

You get my drift power?

Digger Love and John Boy Betty John are one in the same person.

I didn't know that.

Yeah?

I think you did.

I never laid eyes on Digger Love.

How was I supposed to know him and John Boy was the same?

Maybe you killed him, Bubba.

What?

A man like that had a lot of enemies.

Anybody could have done it.

But I'll tell you one thing.

If I hadn't done it, nobody would have been able to find the body.

I didn't kill him.

Maybe?

Maybe you're lying.

Maybe you're not lying.

What did you do that for?

Mutual trust.

You ever heard of a sweet billy marble?

Yeah, a blue singer.

I used to listen to him when I was in the slam of wine.

Just wondering.

What's the matter?

Sorry, he's making me jumpy.

Well, at least they wasn't looking for me.

You got ten bucks?

Didn't know my account.

Sweet billy marble lived in high style, and the

record charts weren't the only thing he could hit.

Good shooting.

You must be Mr. Hammer.

Yes, I am.

My wife, Delia?

Hello?

Hello.

He spoke to you on the phone, pleased to meet you.

Pleasure's mine.

You're a fantastic shot.

For a blind man, you mean?

God didn't give me the gift of sight, but he gave me the great gift of hearing.

You rarely miss a target.

I noticed.

Can I get you something?

No thanks.

I have a seat, Mr. Hammer.

I understand you own a company called Goldust Records.

Well, my husband and I are the majority stockholders,

along with our operations manager, Ruben Washington.

Have you ever heard of a man named Digger Love?

Digger Love?

No, I don't know him.

Do you know him, do you?

Love?

Digger Love?

No, I've never heard of him.

I was told he owned part of your company.

Could be, it's impossible to know all the general stockholders.

What's your interest in him, Mr. Hammer?

He died yesterday.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

How did he die?

Somebody stabbed him in the throat.

The world's getting to be more and more a dangerous place.

That's true.

You seem to be pretty safe up here, though.

I do okay, as long as I stay off of that expressway.

Ms. Marvel, have you ever seen this woman?

Is she someone I should know?

There could be.

She's a singer, or she wasn't one time.

I'm looking for her.

No, I've never seen her.

I'm sorry, we couldn't have been more help to you, Mr. Hammer.

That's okay.

You've both been very helpful.

I mean, I'll show you out.

No, I'll find my own way.

Thanks for the demonstration.

That's quite all right, Mr. Hammer.

Bye-bye.

Sweet Billy and his wife didn't seem to know much about best urban.

So I made an appointment to see Ruben Washington.

Yes, all right.

We're terribly sorry, Mr. Hammer, that you had to wait so long.

Oh, that's okay.

Okay?

I was just reading an article on the sex pistols.

I had no idea they were still around.

Oh, Mr. Washington is bearing for an important recording session with Mr.

Marvel, but he does have a moment.

Right.

Would you like to come this way?

All right, you can take a message.

Okay.

All right, all right.

Just a document.

All right.

All right, Mr. Hammer?

Mr. Washington?

Mr. Hammer?

Thank you.

Let me tell you something, Hammer.

I don't know anything about Diggle Love's death.

Got it?

I run a legit business.

I pay my bills and I try to stay out of jail.

Well, are you so nervous, pal?

You're damn right, I'm nervous.

Well, my business partner, Billy Marvel, tells me you're

private investigators trying to plan a body on our doorstep.

I get very nervous.

Billy Marvel is your partner.

That's what I said.

Look, man, I'm giving it to you straight.

We're doing real well.

We got four records on the charts.

I don't want any trouble.

Why would you have any trouble?

Because I got a prison record, okay?

Running numbers.

Nobody knows that.

Why are you telling me?

Because you and that mountain man you're running

around with are going to blow the cover off something.

You want to save your own hide?

Look, Diggle Love gave me the money to start gold dust rice alone, which I paid back.

He had this girl working for him, best serving.

Me and best got along real good.

You know what I mean?

Until Billy Marvel came along and I signed him to

a record contract, then what do you think happened?

Best fell for Billy.

With his money.

She stayed with him long enough to separate him from about $100,000 then she split.

Lucky for Billy, Diliya came along and he married.

Wait a minute, let me get this straight.

Gold dust records were started by a numbers runner at a pimp in a prostitute.

Interesting story.

Well, Mr. Washington, I had no idea that this was going to end up being a confession.

The story is there's nothing more to confess.

My involvement with Billy is clean and I'd appreciate

it if you told that to your friends at the precinct.

What did Billy know about Best?

You mean about her being a high class hooker?

Nothing.

You think I'm going to tell my number one recording star something like that?

Look, that's all I know about Digger Love and I sure don't know where Best is.

I've been washington stage three, please.

I've got to go.

You can show yourself out.

Ruben Washington hung around with some interesting company.

What was his connection to the woman I saw in the bridge, the lady in red?

I had to find out.

Act us at our website.

Who are you?

I'm with Mr. Washington.

I'll show you to see.

Briefly Marvel, love it here tonight.

Three camera videos.

See camera marks.

Playback!

Yes, the day can disappear.

God, love this year tonight.

You rush away.

Tomorrow is this.

Because love is here tonight.

Be alive.

And along the door.

God will be right once more.

And even so, let's hold it home.

Something so bright to me.

And I can't decide.

But now it's free.

And love is here tonight.

Be alive.

Oh, everything I say.

Be so holy.

Love is here tonight.

And it's stronger than only me.

We can feel it.

It's such a powerful bond.

We can see it.

We're gonna just hold tight.

We're gonna hold tight.

Because God is here tonight.

Be alive.

Be alive.

Oh, everything I say.

Be alive.

Oh,

everything I say.

Oh, man, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.

Oh, man.

That's right.

Crust is over.

Come on.

And ladies, come on.

Cross.

More, come on, come on, come on, come on, more, more, more.

Cross.

So, okay sorry.

Lunch, one hour please.

Okay, lunch, people.

Cool?

Ladies, check the gouge.

Beautiful, beautiful.

We're going for the gold on that one.

That's beautiful.

Thank you.

After lunch, we'll get some close-up.

Get some more shots to the girls.

Could you get that please after lunch?

Beautiful.

Look, Powell, I'd like to see Mr. Washington.

Wait in the reception room.

Thanks.

Let's go.

Come on, Kerry.

Can we talk?

What do you want?

You're best, Perva.

What are you talking about?

Mike.

What are you doing?

What do you mean?

What am I doing?

That's her.

You're the best.

Are you crazy?

That's not best.

Who is this?

Well, I don't know.

What do you ask me for?

Hey, Submy, good luck.

You better get out of here.

Hey, look, you got my money.

You find my woman.

I never saw him before in my life.

He said he'd be here on A&E.

You sure do get around, Powell?

What was that all about?

I told you, you'd only get mad and start yelling at me.

Then I'd get mad and start yelling at you.

So let's just avoid all that.

Yeah, well, I'll take my chances.

Why were you harassing this lady?

It was not assling her.

I just wanted to talk to her, but it turned out to be somebody else.

By the way, who is she?

Jenna Wilson.

This is recording.

Sings and clubs.

Not Mama Vibes had given me the wrong picture and said it was best.

I needed to know why.

Unfortunately, somebody had gotten there before

me, and Mama Vibes had gone from hot to cold.

The gods were angry, and so was I.

Look at that.

Look at that.

I made my way back to Golden Dust Records.

I've arrived to security guard to let me in.

Something told me that Ruben Washington could be the next to go.

And I was right.

Do you know what happened?

What were you doing on the bridge?

I know it was you.

What were you doing there?

Mrs. Marvel.

She sent you.

Why?

She paid me just to be there.

I don't know why.

You ran away from me on the bridge, but then you came back, didn't you?

I was afraid that something was wrong, so I went back.

I saw somebody hit you, and then ran away.

Who was it?

I don't know.

I saw you move.

I thought you were okay.

I'd better call the police.

What do I tell them?

Tell them Ruben Washington just pressed his last record.

If Delia Marvel had hired the lady in red, then I had a good idea where to find vests.

What are you doing here?

Wait, let me guess.

Do you mention Sweet Billie Marvel?

That's gold, that's records.

So here I am.

Any luck?

Yeah, I think I know where best is.

What are we waiting for?

Let's go.

Mike, that rubbish.

And me, Best and John Boy pulled off?

That was a murder.

Security guard.

Witnesses said they didn't see me kill nobody.

And I didn't tell the judge who did.

I was doing 10 to 20.

I got off an eight for a good behavior.

I just thought you ought to know that.

Thanks.

And now we're going to do a little bit of this.

I want you to stay here.

Don't ask any questions and don't make any noise.

I'll stay here right here for me.

Don't make it too long.

Mind time for a nightcare?

Sherry has a way of arousing his sleepaits.

Careful, go ahead.

No thanks, I never drank on the job.

You know, I spent a lot of time looking for Bess Ervin.

I should have known she was right here under my nose, living as deal your marble.

So what took you so long?

A lady named Mama Vibe sent me after the wrong songbird.

And what's your version of the story?

Lady, you have left quite a string of bodies over New York City these past few days.

Well, my dear, dear darling husband will swear on a stack

of Bibles that I've been in this house all week long.

I am a housewife, mister.

As you can see.

I wonder what he'll say when he finds out his wife

is an ex-hooker with four mergers to her credit.

Almost five, if the blow to the back of my head had been a little more on target.

You want me to talk to him now?

Or you want to hear the rest of the story?

I like your style, mister.

About nine years ago, there was a robbery in Augusta, Georgia.

But the robbery went sour.

You killed a security guard.

Your boyfriend, Bubba, took the rap and went to prison.

Then you left town with John Boy Betty John, alias Digger Love.

Digger brought you to New York and became your pimp.

And through him you met Ruben Washington, a

small-time numbers runner with big-time ideas.

And through him you met Sweet Billy, who fell blindly in love with you.

If Billy couldn't know about your past.

So you let Ruben and Digger into the company to become

investors, to keep them very rich and very quiet.

That's ancient history this time.

My husband found out about all of that long time ago and forgave me for it.

I don't think so.

As soon as you heard Bubba was in town, you moved

very fast to take Digger Love out of the picture.

But then when I moved in on Ruben Washington,

you punched out his number along with mama vibes.

You killed them all in order to continue

living in your ivory tower as deal your marble.

And how do you prove that?

The lady in red, your husband's secretary, she can tell us

plenty because she was on the bridge day Digger was killed.

My husband has a five acre estate in the Caribbean.

We could go down there sometimes just you and me.

Power pains you so handsome and attractive.

My husband's worth millions.

Just name your price.

I don't know if you can afford it sweetheart.

20 to life.

Best.

Baby, it's me Bubba.

Oh, look at you.

You are as pretty as ever.

Come on baby, get your things.

We're getting out of here.

It's no good Bubba.

She killed Digger and Ruben.

She's not going anywhere.

What?

Are you crazy?

I've robbed and stole for this woman.

I paced a jail cell for eight years.

You think I'm going to let you stop me?

Come on baby.

You come here with me.

Look at you.

You think I want to spend the rest of my life

with you on some chicken farm in Georgia?

It's bad enough I got to live with this blind man

crying on me and the dog crying like a crippled dog.

But look at this.

Look at this.

Look what I got.

Luxury, a swimming pool, fifteen acres, a Rolls

Royce and a Mercedes that they belong to me.

Do you think I'm going to let you ruin that?

I am respectable and I am rich and nobody is going to take that away from me.

You've already got four bodies hanging over your head sweetheart.

Why complicate your life?

Nobody knows that but the two of you in a minute you can be a memory.

I'm a daughter.

Easy Billy.

I didn't know what she did.

I had to see her just one more time.

I see anybody get out of here.

I got to call the cops.

I'll be gone by the time you get here.

She's still the prettiest woman I've ever seen.

What do you think's going to happen to Beth?

Well, if she makes it out of the hospital, she

still got a murder app hanging over her head.

Not just one.

She told me I could help her.

Tell me isn't there something I could do?

I don't know, Baba.

Something you just can't change.

The best thing is to try and forget him.

Have your attention, please.

All passengers from New Orleans now boarding.

Well, guess I'll get on back to where I belong.

Since I've never been here.

Hey, yeah.

You know, how about you?

Big Baba was gone.

And the headlines were full of the tragedy that had befallen sweet Billy Marvel.

But he was going to be all right.

He was acquitted by the jury.

And his next record, Unfaithful Woman, put him right back in the top ten.

Tonight, biography ends Mad Medic War Week with the master of deception, who boosted

the image of the Nazi's third right, Joseph Gerbals, at 80s turn 9 Pacific.

And now, Remington Steele, Jack the Ripper, couldn't he?

Next on A&A.