Original subtitles

A

man would actually do that.

A sociopath, though.

A man with a deep grudge against women.

He strikes me as a lady who can take care of herself.

That was my first experience with death.

Well, we had a little precinct meeting.

I'm helping Mike with an investigation.

Right, it's an undercover job.

It's just too graphic.

Darling is not a medical journal.

I am the one who makes the decision, so you're not you.

Mike, I'm so happy!

Whoo!

Do you ever hear of it?

Must be kidding, I worshiped.

The game of pool hasn't changed a lot over the years, but

shooting eight-ball with a woman definitely has its advantages.

For one thing, the view is great.

And I can usually count on winning.

Good for him.

Well, I'm impressed.

You got any more surprises?

Well, why don't you stick around and find out?

Next D9.

We can get him a shot.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

This Dr. J is a lot more interesting, trust me.

Our topic tonight is women in power positions.

With us we have Claire Borgen and Walling Tanner.

Oh, who cares?

You're brought.

Who is the last woman in a power position that you want to offend, right?

Wait, another one.

Wait, talk it off.

Claire at Darling magazine, you're in command of a staff of over a hundred.

What is your breakdown of women to men?

About 50-50.

It really doesn't matter to me whether they're male or female.

You see, as long as the work gets done.

Right on, boss.

Well, it must get awkward at times.

There are a lot of men in the workforce today who aren't

used to dealing with women in positions of authority.

Well, they can either accept it or be left behind.

Let's see what our viewing audience has to say.

Hello, welcome to Women's World.

Oh, yeah, hi.

Great show tonight.

Thank you.

I really don't see the problem.

I mean, I've worked for women and have gotten along fine.

Would you care to share the secret of your success?

Sure.

You just do your job and everyone can go home happy.

How do you handle disagreements when they arise?

I'll tell you.

I've come up with a very simple solution.

I just kill your bitches.

I'm afraid to ask what other surprises you got in store for me.

Hello, I can't talk.

Goodbye.

Got it.

Got it.

Hello, I cannot... Nancy.

You got 30 seconds.

No, it's been a long time.

It's okay.

You sound upset.

Well, tomorrow?

Yeah, how about noon at Darcy's?

Okay, I'll see you then.

Bye-bye.

Spry.

A few years ago,

Nancy Adkins was a confused, frightened kid with one foot

in an early grave and the other on her pusher's doorstep.

She'd come a long way since then.

Darling is the number one woman's magazine in the country, Mike.

We get phone calls and letters from strange people all the time.

But this guy, he really gives me the creeps.

Do you answer all your bosses calls?

Yeah, that's why I recognized his voice on TV last night.

And he says the same thing every time.

I'm going to kill the bitch.

Claire may be a lot of things, but that isn't one of them.

She's the best boss I've ever had.

How long you work for her?

Three years.

I started out as a receptionist and now I'm Claire's administrative assistant.

I'm scared, Mike, especially after last night.

And you're sure it's the same guy?

He's called six times in two weeks.

Did he have an accent?

No.

Did you recognize any noise in the background?

Nothing.

You've been to the police?

Oh, no.

Claire doesn't want them involved.

I invited you, remember?

Well, thank you.

Hey, it's nice to see you doing okay.

Well, I listened to some good advice from a friend.

If you hadn't stuck it out with me, Mike.

What are friends for?

Thanks, honey.

Let's get real, guys.

We've got two weeks to put this issue to bed.

Two weeks.

And we've got nothing but uninteresting photographs.

And boring articles about people who nobody cares to read about.

I thought that some of it was rather good, actually.

Well, if you've given up drinking and need a literary nightcap to sleep, then maybe.

Could you be a little more specific, darling?

Yes, I can be a little bit more specific.

This article in Dr. Lesley Stevens is boring.

Absolutely boring.

This doctor is one of the leading surgeons in this country.

We make her sound like some housewife who spends all

of her days watching soaps and sucking them bonbons.

The truth is that outside the operating room, she watches soaps and sucks on bonbons.

Look, we're not talking about the truth here.

We're talking about what you say and what you don't say.

Forget about the lady in the slippers in the house

coat, and write about the one with the scalpel.

We're here to sell magazine, folks.

Okay.

Meeting's over.

One hammer, a clever morgan.

He's agreed to take your case.

With all the practices she's been getting on me, she'll make a great mother one day.

Listen to him, okay?

No, no.

She talks a lot.

Listen.

Why don't you want the police in on this?

It's a hot story.

And if my private life is going to become public,

it's going to become public in my magazine.

It's as simple as that.

Is there anything in your private life that you want to hide?

No.

Are you always this direct?

I don't tap dance well, especially with clients.

Understood.

Any idea who this guy might be?

None.

Mr. Hammer, this is all very upsetting to me,

but really, I cannot allow myself to dwell on it.

You see, I still have a magazine to run.

You can guard my body, but please, don't breathe down my neck.

We're at the moment anyway.

Well, if you can work it into your agenda, let me know.

By the way, what is your agenda for today?

An editorial staff meeting at 2, the fashion layout at 3.15, photographers at 4.

30, and then the cocktail party at 7.

All in the same place?

Mm-hmm.

What about the cocktail party?

Cross town.

You got a date?

No.

Good.

I'll pick you up at 6.30.

In the meantime, stay here, you'll be safe.

Bye-bye.

My gut tells me that this guy did a lot more

than just heavy breathing over the telephone.

What do you got?

Nothing.

Forget about it, Mike.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Don't tell me I'm wrong.

You're wrong.

Okay.

If this gets to the media, it could start a string of copycat killings.

This has got to stay between us.

Hey.

How many?

Two, same ammo, straight razor.

Both highly successful ladies, both in parking garages.

What about a list of suspects?

What about it, Mike?

It's a police business, and you know it.

Okay.

Thanks.

Michael, be here any minute.

Are you ready?

Oh, no way.

I can't go.

I'm swamped.

He'll have to babysit me here.

Oh, Charles!

You were absolutely right.

The piece was boring.

Circulation is the name of the game, and fiction is stronger than truth.

Very funny.

You'll have to cover for me at the party tonight.

Oh, darling, I'm sorry.

I'd love to, but Burishnikov couldn't go on without me.

Out in fifty bucks a piece.

Look like it's going to be you, kid.

Me?

It's going to be a fun party, Nancy.

Loads of good-looking guys.

Come on.

What do you say?

So twist my arm.

I'll call a cab.

Not tonight, you won't.

It's much too late.

Here, take mine.

Thanks.

See ya.

Have fun.

Where was I?

Think

I'm out for cocktails.

Not for this girl.

Too much work to do.

Stick around for a few hours.

You could take me home later.

Where's your car?

I gave it to Nancy.

She's covering for me tonight.

You mean the party?

Yeah.

She just went down to the garage.

I'm surprised you didn't see her.

Titter, here on A&E.

No signs

of a struggle, Mike.

She never knew what hit her.

Mike, I'm sorry.

I know she was a friend of yours.

Thanks.

It's like this creep's going to down to a science.

Now, it's time to get the wrong woman.

It's in Pat.

There was somebody else on that talk show of Pauline and somebody.

Pauline Tanner.

We're trying to get in touch with her now.

Mike, I've already told you this is a police business.

Pat, killing my friend while going after my client makes it my business.

Now, I want a list of those suspects.

It's okay.

You'll get it in the morning.

This was no random killing.

Three women killed in three parking garages.

I think we may have a pattern.

I'd like you to compare the ammo's.

It's these little details handed that separate professionals from the ambushes.

Thanks for the education, Larry.

Any reason for her to stay?

I'll need a statement eventually.

We'll scotch, too.

Yeah, that's fine.

Claire, we can't change what happened.

It's all over.

You know, so is the life of a wonderful young woman.

I know.

Whoever killed her, I'd like to visit his neck with a chainsaw.

So would I.

You would.

Does that surprise you?

I'm impressed.

He's tracked me as a lady who can take care of herself.

I can.

I've been working since I was fifteen.

Waitressing the barman's doors.

I put myself through college.

Really?

What about your parents?

They died when I was in high school.

That was my first experience with death.

It took me three years to accept it, though.

You know?

Saying goodbye.

It's never easy.

Please don't leave me alone here tonight.

I wasn't planning on it.

I'm going to sleep right here in the couch tonight.

And don't worry.

You feel a lot better in the morning.

Thank you.

Good night.

There's lots of reasons to regret not sleeping with a woman you're attracted to.

In this case, I had a new one.

But I woke up, Claire was gone.

Where the hell have you been?

Swimming.

There's a pool on the roof, you know?

And I love to go swimming every day.

Claire, listen.

You told this thing to settle.

I don't want you to go anywhere without me or in a security guard.

Do you understand?

My displace is safer than the Pentagon.

And I really, I feel very secure here, really.

Besides, it fits my lifestyle.

Your lifestyle almost changed prominently last night.

The body was discovered a short time ago in the

trunk of a car in a downtown parking garage.

Captain Chambers, our sources inform us that you have identified the victim as

Pauline Tanner, a principal of the Tanner-Taggersmith-Loch firm.

Any comments?

That will be ma'am.

We'll have no comment until the next of kin has been notified.

Thank you, Captain.

Oh, my God.

She was on the show with me.

You kidding?

I had to admire Claire.

As frightened as she was, she insisted on going to work.

I left her at her office with a couple of security guards.

Picked up the list of suspects Pat promised me and took it to an expert on the subject.

I just killed the bitches.

What kind of a man would actually do that?

A sociopath.

A man with a deep grudge against women.

He blames them for something that hurt him deeply.

A personal loss, a traumatic humiliation.

Like the loss of a job?

Fired by a lady boss, maybe?

Not enough.

He might go after the woman who fired him, but not other women.

A woman as a symbol.

Dr. Brothers, I've got a list of men who might put that profile.

Men who committed non-sexual assaults against women.

Perhaps you could help me narrow it down.

Well, since each of the women he murdered was in a high salary in the executive

position, he'd have to be someone who is comfortable in that world.

Lawyers, a doctor, a stockbroker, not a welder or a postman.

Yeah.

And it's my guess that he'd be working for another woman who is a strong woman.

Why would he do that if he hated them?

To reinforce his feelings, to make the transference

from emotion to action more acceptable.

What you're saying is that this guy was giving

himself a reason for killing successful women.

Precisely.

Thank you, Dr. Brothers.

Be careful.

Oh, Mr. Hammer, one last thing.

Because the manifestation of this man's psychopathology is so extreme,

if I were you, I would look for a man who has lost something that means more to him,

much more than any job.

Mm.

Thank you.

Claire, you have to understand, there are very good reasons for objecting to this.

I have to agree with Charles this time.

Thank you, Brenda.

It's just too graphic.

Darling is not a medical journal.

Then what does darling mean to you, Charles?

What does it mean to you?

What it means to me is not to the point we run the

risk of offending our readers if we print it this way.

Darling is moving with the times, Charles, you or not.

Now, please remember that I am the one who makes the decisions here, not you.

That's it.

Pretty rough on him, aren't you?

You're right.

He didn't deserve that.

I probably should have stayed at home today.

All I can think about is Nancy.

I'm so confused.

Nothing seems to make sense to me anymore.

I've given up so much for my career.

And for what?

All of a sudden I feel so alone.

Claire, as long as I'm around you're not alone.

Unless I need your help.

Here's a list.

Half a dozen names fit the profile of the killer.

Do you recognize any of these names?

Not a one.

Okay.

Now, two security guards are going to take you back to your apartment tonight.

Yes.

What about you?

I've got some checking out of my own to do.

Now, don't talk to any strangers just from here to the house and that's it.

Agreed?

Agreed.

Hang in there.

She had it coming, Mr. Hammer.

Really?

How's that?

You know what you think about the brokerage business?

Enough to stay out of it.

Hello?

Yeah?

Hang on a minute.

I'm sorry about this.

It's okay.

Money in the bank.

Got it.

One of my clients just made $200,000.

Not bad for days work.

Yeah, you see, that's the whole idea.

To make investments like that, that pay off.

We'd have meetings, me and what's her name?

My boss?

If I said A, she said B.

If I said buy, she said sell.

You can guess the rest.

Tell me.

My way would have made our clients rich.

Her way?

They lost their shirts.

One day I overheard her boss asking about it.

You know what she says?

I'm more interested in what you did.

I decked her.

Really?

If your boss had been a man, would you decked him?

Sure.

If I had the same 20 pounds on him?

So who are you working for now, another woman?

My uncle.

Once was enough.

Better stay away from your hand.

Thanks.

Stuart Bryan didn't set off any alarms.

But when you're looking for a psycho, it isn't always

easy to feel the heat until somebody gets burned.

There were a few more names on the list, which

I checked out until it was time to check in.

Hello?

I'm Mike Hammer.

Oh, Laura Shrell.

Any temps?

Oh, welcome aboard.

Listen, I need to reach Claire Morgan.

Her name should be in the row of decks.

I'd love to, but I have to go.

It'll only take a second.

I may not have that long.

I really have to go.

Well, let's see what you mean.

My taxi.

I'll take your word for it.

It was nice meeting you.

You too.

Laura definitely gave new meaning to the word temp.

And Claire gave a new meaning to the word heartburn.

The problem with having her client who has a mind of

her own as you can't count on her doing what she's told.

Claire should have been in her apartment answering the phone.

She wasn't.

And suddenly I was very concerned.

How you doing?

I'm Jack.

Oh, hi Jack.

Goodbye, Jack.

Mark, is you expecting it?

Yeah, my name is Mike Cameron.

I'm on a list.

Check it out.

It's under M.

Morgan.

You got a camera up there in the swimming pool area?

No, no.

We just covered the ground floor, the garage,

the main entrance to the lobby, service elevator.

Somebody got up at the pool level to mind with a straight razor.

What are you talking about?

You said that you had a video camera for every entrance, right?

Yeah.

I want to see tonight's tapes.

We don't tape, we just monitor.

Then how did somebody get past you and your monitoring system?

Nobody got past me, I swear.

An unfamiliar face, I want to stop them.

Yeah, I got past you.

You okay?

I'm alive, thanks to you.

What if I use your phone?

Who are you going to call?

A friend of mine at the police department.

All right, please.

Oh, not tonight, please.

Just hold me.

I didn't feel like swimming today anyway.

Besides, nice girls always stay for breakfast.

Great, I'm starving.

Listen, how many people do you go swimming every evening?

A lot of people do.

I even go swimming in the afternoon, you know, when I get stressed out.

Well, I would include everybody in the office.

Of course, that's no secret, why?

Because this guy is no stranger.

You better keep that mime when you go to work today.

Speaking about the work, I'm late.

I think I'm going to be even later.

No.

And

who worked for Claire, knew her habits, and had taken a lot of grief from her lately.

Her features editor Charles Forster.

I called Pat to run a check on it, and then paid a visit to the next man on

my list, Kevin Landers, a computer analyst.

It seems that one of his former bosses was a lady.

When she pulled the plug on him, he tried to rearrange her face.

Nobody answered the door at Landers' place, but that's never stopped me yet.

I guess the lady's underwear was Landers' own business.

But the pantyhose looked like the kind that

creep that Claire's pool had worn on his kisser.

What do you have here?

My name is Mike Hammer on the private investigator.

What do you want?

I want some antist pal.

You always say hello this way?

You always breaking up people's houses?

What do you expect me to do?

Shake your hand?

I want you to explain this.

And don't tell me you're with the ballet.

What's this about?

It's about murder, pal.

Now, do you want to continue being a suspect, or do you want off the hook?

My wife's.

She died a year ago on a plane crash.

I just had mail to bring myself to get rid of her things.

Really?

Did you ever hit her?

You must be kidding.

I worshiped her.

What about your boss?

Your rap sheets as your bouncer around pretty good?

She was no lady.

She pushed and pushed, and then one day I had enough.

How long were you married?

Since college, she worked, I studied.

And she went back to school, got a law degree.

How'd you feel about that?

Proud.

She worked her way up the ladder fast.

And then it happened.

One of the business trips, a private plane.

There'll never be another woman for me.

Sorry, next time I'll knock.

Kevin Landers had had a tough break.

So in a lifetime, who hasn't?

It wasn't enough to cross him off my list.

Guys in the lab went over Claire's building the fine-toothed comb.

Get us out, it's laid out.

The guy at the pool got off on the 12th floor,

dumped these pantyhose into the trash drop.

Forensics come up with anything?

Yeah, dead end street.

Saliva, blood type over.

Yeah, just like half the city.

No broken off hairs, friends, or hair follicles?

Nothing.

Forget about Charles Forster, he's Mr. Clean.

Never even had a J-walking ticket.

Hey, come on, Pat.

Nobody's that straight?

He is.

Never married, very few girlfriends.

He put all his energy into his work.

Here's the only wrinkle.

He was next in line when Claire Morgan took over his head honcho.

Well, I guess they figured a woman should run a woman's magazine.

The men have I borrowed this?

No way, Jose.

Thanks.

That's okay.

One size fits all.

It's a microgrid.

A microgrid, when you get this.

Hello, sweetheart.

Mike, I've been trying to call you.

I know, I've been working on this case.

Listen, I need a favor.

Thanks.

I owe you one.

How about the day after tomorrow?

You got a day.

Charles, I've considered your thoughts about Brenda's article.

I think your role.

We'll go with you this plan, okay?

Okay.

But I want to go on the record as being opposed.

Listen, Charles.

I thought you all might like to know the police have a light on the killer.

They found this in Claire's building.

Lab tests have given him a pretty good idea of how old the guy is.

Color of his hair, ethnic origin.

Whoever it was knew that she was in the pool.

Newer habits.

And knew the layout of the building.

But in the final analysis, that's all icing on the cake.

Because whichever way he went out or came in, there was a camera watching.

He's on tape without his mask.

To drop to the bottom is always faster than the climb to the top.

Charles Forrester was no longer the darling of Darling magazine.

Our sources confirm that the police have linked the murders of the four women to

Charles Forrester, the president of Darling magazine.

Forrester was 40 years old.

Did her here on A&E.

I had closed the case on the man who tried

to kill Claire and she wanted to settle up.

Anyone who doubts that women control two thirds of the

nation's wealth should get a load of the checks she wrote me.

Oh, come on, this is way too much.

When somebody gives you your life back... Oh, well, it's my way of saying thanks.

You expressed your gratitude very well last night.

Uh, Mike, listen, this whole thing has put me way behind

schedule and I've got an issue to put to bed by Friday.

Um, how about dinner and Monday?

I guess I can fit that into my agenda.

Good.

Um, you choose the restaurant.

No, you pick the restaurant.

I'll pay the check.

Very well.

When a case is finished and the paycheck is deposited, I always get a certain feeling.

This time was different.

The hair on the back of my neck told me that something was wrong.

I didn't have that old feeling.

What's with your phone?

I've been trying to call you for an hour.

I'm just falling off the hood.

Oh, yeah, right.

What's going on?

We got troubles.

Yeah?

What?

Charles Forrester, he's done our pigeon.

Come on, Patty, tried to kill Claire and he tried to kill me.

But on the Pauline Tanner, I think he was in

Chicago at a banquet with 50 other people.

You're kidding?

Tried to kill Claire and blame another person who's still out there.

Must be a copycat killer then, huh?

And I've got an idea who he's copying.

Good evening, Captain.

Well, hello, Maggie.

Or should I say Officer Williams?

What are we having a little precinct meeting?

I'm helping Mike with an investigation.

Right, it's an undercover job.

Captain?

Yeah, right.

You got to talk.

Met

it, but my instinct turned out to be right.

I called Claire at her office.

She didn't answer.

I told you.

You read the Morgan?

Yes.

See, that's what I said.

Unombre, I mean, go see you.

Yeah?

Must I?

Yes.

I don't know.

Fashion sombrero.

No, no, no.

Hot.

C.C.

I tried to stop him.

It's okay Jose.

He's a friend of mine.

Yes.

Easy.

No problem.

Why don't you take off your mask, Glanders?

Or is it too much trouble for you to face your victim?

Don't call me a little closer.

You know, I really missed on you, Kevin.

A very smart doctor told me that the killer lost more than his job.

You lost your wife, I should have remembered.

What was her name?

Silvia, right?

She killed her.

Claire didn't kill anybody, neither did anybody else.

What'd you do to knock her around a little, too?

Then she decided to leave you, right?

Yeah.

The bits left me.

She went and lit up.

She kept putting me down and putting me down.

They all put you down here, man.

Yeah, well, now it's my turn.

It was

a very close shave.

It was even closer for Landers.

All right.

It had been quite an experience.

But nothing that had happened could have possibly

prepared me for the shock that was yet to come.

Mike, your beer is getting warm.

Mike, I've ordered you a scotch.

It's a good thing I'm thirsty.

Ladies, Claire Morgan, this is Maggie Williams.

Don't tell me this is your idea for double day.

It could be double trouble.

Well, don't you think you're with both an apology?

Or at least a game of pool?

You shoot pool?

Yes, I do.

I'll play the winner.

Oh, my gosh.

Join us for a celebration of the Rogers and Hammerstein songwriting team.

At an all-new A&E special presentation Sunday at 82-9 Pacific.

Now, a gymnast Laura snoops around at a shock

to find Remington secretly marrying a call girl.

Next on A&E.