Original subtitles

I have just taken a prisoner.

I got a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun wrapped around a man's neck.

- Fred, there's a call for you. - I've got to get on the air.

- It's Tony Kiritsis. - Hello, Tony. You are live and on the air.

Well, I didn't take Dick here to be a buffoon.

I took him for vengeance.

The moment we are in the story, we lose our way as journalists.

I will hold the line.

That's the funny thing about lines is they're always moving.

I want an apology from M.L. Hall himself.

Bill, maybe you could get him on the fucking phone.

He's not here.

- In the office? - In the state.

I'm not apologizing.

- I chose you for a reason. - You chose me?

I knew that for people to really understand my situation...

Tony! Tony!

I needed you.

I have an exclusive.

Eight years ago, Tony imprisoned his sister in her home.

I think you've got your first story.

You run that story, we're gonna get a repeat of what we had tonight,

and this time, we will not be so lucky.

I'm sorry. We're killing the story.

The story we're putting together on Meridian, are you gonna kill that too?

- I'm just trying to do what's right. - How's that line holding now?

I think the story got away from you.

I write the news. I'm the lead reporter on this story.

Fred, you are the story.

The usual, Dick?

- Five-six. - No way!

I swear. 5-foot-6, even.

Can he even ride a roller coaster?

You must be this tall to kidnap Dicky Hall.

Fix your collar, Dick. You look like a singing waiter.

What kind of man lets himself get taken hostage?

Fuck!

Oh, shit.

Go to bed.

We'll discuss it later.

- Fred Heckman. - I was hoping you wouldn't pick up.

One of us should be rested.

Well, that's not happening tonight.

Well, it makes sense. You were a Naval cryptologist.

Of course you can't sleep when there's a puzzle to solve.

How are our friends in C-308?

Tony is up and moving around. I guess he couldn't sleep either.

He put Dick in the bathroom.

Well, that's better than keeping him wired to the shotgun.

Well, hostage takers who use blindfolds have a higher rate

of killing their captives.

If they can't look them in the eye, they cease to exist.

To that end, I was hoping that you and Mrs. Heckman

could broker a call to Mrs. Hall today.

I really don't wanna drag her any further into this.

Tony romanticizes wives and children.

Ibby reminds him that Dick's a family man. Makes him look him in the eye.

- I will ask her. - Thank you.

I got in touch with Tony's brother, Jimmie.

He was traveling, but he's on his way now.

Today's mission is reminding Tony that he's got something to live for.

Where are we with this immunity deal?

We can leave that to the lawyers. We're just buying Dick one hour at a time.

Good luck with the broadcast.

You've got an audience of one.

Thanks a lot.

How'd you sleep, baby?

Top story has not changed. We will lead with a reset on Kiritsis.

Next.

Indiana Senate rejected a proposal to repeal capital punishment,

State Bill 84.

Ginny, you wanna write that up?

And Ginny?

- S.B. 84, on it. - Thank you.

National seems a little bit lighter today.

There is a hot air balloonist attempting to fly from California to Florida. Last...

Are we gonna talk about what happened last night?

We can, later.

Well, I just think the staff would feel a lot better if we could just...

Well, I have to be on the air in ten minutes, so later.

Let's finish up with a minute on the hot air balloonist.

Franco, anything else from the sports desk?

Games were won. Games were lost.

Okay.

It could be the last day of our lives, Dick, so let's enjoy ourselves.

Go ahead, eat up.

WIBC had a 24-hour telethon.

Ten bucks for the mug.

Twenty would have got me a baseball hat, but I got a big head.

One size fits most.

That's how much I love Fred Heckman.

Fred, the morning wire has Tony up top.

IBC has not seen this much heat

since we tied up Indiana Bell phone lines with the Sugar Daddy contest, remember?

I got fined for that too.

Oh, you know, Dick Hall's doing great, by the way.

Still at the end of a shotgun, but...

Pam's buried in last-minute buy-in. Garfinkel's wants in on the VDP.

That's the Valentine's Day Promo

Fred, Tony's on line three.

- What's his mood? - Fussy.

- Great. - "Great."

Hiya, Tony.

Hey, Fred.

You...

Maybe you and I can fix this thing today?

- Hopefully. - Yeah.

Listen, you know, I've never been one for sports,

but I need to be able to talk to my barber,

so I listen to Franco in the morning.

And... today, every question was about me.

Well, listen, if they got questions, I got answers.

Why don't you let me take some calls?

Certainly. I'm sure we could find the time to work something out for you?

- Sure. - Yeah.

Well, why don't you put me on now? What do you got next?

Bird Talk. Nobody listens to that.

Well, you know, Tony, I think with a call-in kind of thing,

it might be better to record it, beforehand.

Well, why don't you let me set the record straight?

Mr. Kiritsis, this is Jerry Morris, IBC station manager.

Look, we'd love to have you on the air.

Why don't we put a call out and we'll have you on for the nine o'clock hour?

- How's that sound? - That's perfect.

Give me a chance to make some tea. My voice is damn near shot.

Are you out of your mind?

Are you out of your mind?

- What if someone calls him crazy? - Hello?

We'll screen him beforehand.

- Hello? - Yesterday, you were worried

about 300-dollars-a-curse-word.

Now you're desperate to put this guy on live?

If anybody says anything they shouldn't, we'll cut it off.

- We don't have a dump button, Jerry. - Fine. I'll put him on with Franco.

- Hello? - Hey, Tony.

- Sorry about that. Yeah. - Hey.

Listen, why don't you and I take some calls?

- Yeah. Great. - But I need you to...

I need you to promise me a couple things.

The number one, I need you to remain calm at all times,

and...

and really, really refrain from the profanity.

I'll do my best.

- That's all we're asking for, Tony. - Yeah,

- Yeah, yeah. Okay. - Okay. We'll be in touch with the details.

Yeah. Call me back. Call me back.

Get ready, motherfucker.

That went rather well.

We have had quite a morning here

at the station at the request of Mr. Tony Kiritsis,

we are gonna open the phone lines to discuss his situation.

As long as we can all remain calm and civil,

we will answer some calls right after these important announcements.

Hey, Tony, are you there?

- Ready, Freddie. - I just need you to stick to the facts.

- Can you do that for me, pal? - Of course, Fred. That's all I do.

Okay. Then... then here we go.

Okay, caller, you are on the air.

Oh, hi. Am I talking to Tony?

Yes, ma'am. I'm here.

It's Frances Greer. Do you remember me, Tony?

Yeah. Hi, Frances. How are you doing?

- Oh, how... - I remember you.

How do you two know one another?

Oh, Tony worked with my husband at the car dealership.

What's your question, honey?

Well, so the Halls. They cheated you out of a deal for your land, right?

That's correct.

But you're still going to pay your loan back?

All I want is a fair shake.

Oh, okay. Thank you for your call, Frances.

It sounds to me like you don't owe them. They owe you.

- You think? - Well, regarding the Eisner-Osco deal...

You're being honorable, Tony, but when have bankers been honorable?

They owe you the profit you would have made from the steakhouse.

Get what you're owed, Tony.

Well, thank you, Frances. That's very helpful.

I'm gonna get what I'm owed.

Thank you. I hadn't thought about that.

Okay.

I think we're ready here.

Caller, go ahead.

Meridian boarded up my house when I fell behind on my mortgage.

They literally came and nailed boards over my windows.

But when I paid off my debt, they wouldn't fix the windows.

They say they're a family company, Tony, but they're crooks.

Crooks. That's all.

Ever since we went off the gold standard...

Nixon was framed.

And they're trying to frame you too, Tony.

Best president in the history of this country.

Judy, what is going on in there?

Can we get some less provocative people calling in?

These are the least provocative calls. Everybody else wants him to kill Dick.

What's your question, honey?

Okay, I believe we have time for one more call.

Caller, go ahead. You're on the air.

I just wanted to say my husband got laid off from the Carrier plant in '73,

and we were a year behind on our payments to Meridian,

and... and my husband had a nervous breakdown.

I came home, and I found him.

Thankfully, he was all right, but I almost lost him.

Well, I'm very sorry to hear that, ma'am.

And even at our lowest,

Meridian gave us 30 days, or they'd foreclose.

Tony, I'd like to set up a legal fund for you, I really would.

Thank you, ma'am. But you keep your money.

I'm gonna get what's owed to me, just like the people said.

I hope you do. We're all behind you.

Well, why don't we leave it right there?

That's the end of the hour for me.

Thank you for your calls. Tony, thank you for your time.

Thank you, Fred.

This is WIBC Radio. I'm Fred Heckman. Next up is Ben Hairston.

Stay tuned.

Over and out.

WIBC

Well, we learned a lot.

The negotiation committee's meeting.

Well done on the call-in. That could have gone very badly.

Give Tony another couple hours, he'll be signing autographs.

It's human nature to admire Tony.

A power fantasy for people who wouldn't be able to do it themselves.

Who hasn't imagined killing their boss?

Yeah, I love hot sandwiches.

How is that relevant?

Let's make this fast. I got to get back to Crestwood.

- Mr. Heckman. I don't think you're... - Yes, yes, Fred is off the record.

But before we start, I'd like to get clear on what we're talking about here.

You and your surfboarding boss are going to offer my client immunity.

Are you really his lawyers?

- Oh, what would you mean by that? - I think you know what I mean.

I don't.

Christ, John, your client's got a gun to a man's head.

I wanna know if you're gonna help us end this.

How dare you, sir?

The right to fair and zealous counsel

is inalienable regardless of what Mr. Kiritsis may or may not have done.

If you think for one second

that his lawyers are gonna act as anything other than honest counsel, think again.

If you truly want to end this,

you will grant my client complete criminal immunity.

All right. D.A. Kelley...

- Who's currently slathered in suntan oil. - He's at a conference.

Allegedly.

Kelley has authorized us to negotiate an immunity deal for Mr. Kiritsis.

- The whole kit and caboodle? - Full immunity.

There's no precedent for this, correct?

I mean, during Attica,

Rockefeller was never gonna accept the demands for amnesty.

That's because they'd already killed a guard.

Mr. Kiritsis hasn't hijacked a plane. He hasn't shot a police officer.

He's proceeded with remarkable caution.

Well, aren't you worried about the precedent that this sets?

I mean, are we really saying that someone can just take somebody hostage

and wire their apartment to blow to smithereens,

and they just walk away scot-free?

It's common for criminals to strike plea deals.

Alleged criminals.

Utilized at the government's discretion to avert greater wrongs.

In this case, the death of Mr. Hall.

The priority is getting the hostage out safely.

- Exactly. - Yes.

And you're okay with this?

Don't look at me. These aren't my monkeys.

We've got one shot at this, gentlemen.

So whatever deal you work out, Tony needs to feel like it's his choice.

Okay. I'll call Tony. You guys get going on the particulars.

We'll start redlining the document.

Sorry, what document?

The document I sent over last night, yes?

Tony's demands.

- They offering immunity? - I was off-the-record.

Now I know that look.

Yeah?

Follow your instincts.

And if I do figure it out, who decides if it airs, you or McNally?

All right then.

Mr. Heckman, my name is Ben Hairston from WIBC.

I don't have time for this.

As an active member of the negotiating committee,

- what can you tell... - Stop it. What is it you're doing?

Well, if you're not a journalist, you're a source.

I made a judgment call last night, okay? That's what I get paid to do.

I won't apologize for prioritizing a man's life over a story.

Last chance, Mr. Heckman.

What can you tell us about immunity negotiations?

No comment.

And how do you spell that?

S-N-I-D-E-R.

I will ask him.

Yeah, you got it. Fred.

One of the Purdue students who was suspended for the sit-in.

He's open for an interview as long as you call him before 6.

Oh, okay. Thank you.

- Fred. - Mr. Heckman.

- Ben Hairston. - Oh, right.

Yes. Nice to meet you.

You the guy that did the stint in Anchorage?

No.

Okay. Well, come on in.

Anyway, if President Hovde calls, you let me know.

Yep.

Eight months at the Observer, six months in Kansas City...

My broad array of experience has prepared me to fit into any newsroom.

I know a Goodman at The Observer. I'm surprised you lasted eight months.

He's one of those rarified dicks

that you hope never has to save you from drowning.

Well, let's just say that I kept a spare life vest in my desk drawer.

Say, that Purdue student earlier,

were they part of the group that was arrested for protesting ROTC?

No comment.

How'd you land an interview with the head of a Maoist Communist brigade in Chicago?

Well, have you ever met a Maoist Communist?

I mean, the trouble is not getting the interview,

it's getting those fellows to shut up.

I get people to talk

because I work the phones like no one else,

and I won't settle until I get the story right.

I think you're overqualified.

I mean, why would you wanna go from writing 10,000-word exposés

to writing 500 words of copy?

I believe to be a great reporter

you have to question authority, and never take no for an answer.

And for someone...

like myself...

All I care about is getting the story right...

and killing to get it before anyone else.

At the Black student rally last night,

a Purdue faculty member was passing around a petition to boycott

if any of the sit-in students were expelled.

Seventy-five tenured faculty signed it.

I have a line on three of those professors.

Well, when can you start?

It's gotta be absolute.

Well, we're working on it, Tony.

You hear that, Dick? They're giving me immunity.

Turn that frown upside-down, pal.

You put a clause in there about no psychiatrist?

Affirmative. No shrinks.

Hey, how's Dick?

"How's Dick?" Same as the last 90 times everyone asked.

First night in his life he didn't sleep on satin sheets.

- Tell him how you're doing, Dick. - I'm doing fine.

Little Lord Fauntleroy was being bitchy.

I got food, water. Fine.

Basically a catered affair out here.

- Well, that's good to hear. - Yeah.

And how are you? Are you getting rest? Are you...

Oh, fuck, no. It don't matter. Tell him to hurry up.

All right. I'm doing the best I can.

Yeah. I know.

All right. Stay in touch.

Let me ask you a question.

What's the worst part about eating at a steakhouse?

I don't know.

Well, guess.

I mean, if... if you're really asking a...

It's the judgment.

You can't get a nice steak without some waiter

looking down his nose at you for not wearing a goddamn tie.

Well...

None of that at Magdalena's.

Do some math for me.

I want you to figure out how much I would've made

if you and M.L. hadn't screwed me over.

Figure, Magdalena's does three years of business, right?

You got a fillet mignon's nine bucks, appetizers, four, bottle of wines, 12.

It comes to about 45 bucks a table,

20 tables, three turnovers a night, six days a week.

That'll get you gross.

And then you gotta subtract materials,

and payroll for a dozen employees, state and federal tax.

That'll get you net.

So does a madman ask for net?

Or does he ask for gross?

- He asks for gross. - That's right.

You figure out a number, and we'll see how much to ask your family for.

What do you think your life's worth?

You can't put a number on a life.

Well, you're an actuary, Dick.

Putting a number on a human life is your job.

Well, we have confirmed that Mr. Hall, made it through the night.

There's no indication that he is being mistreated.

"Mistreated." I basically rolled out the red carpet for him.

For Mr. Hall's release.

But we will update you...

What about Mr. Kiritsis? Nobody's asking about him.

Oh, yeah, he had to pull out a shotgun for anyone to notice.

- Hey, Tony. - What?

- The people do care about you, Tony. - Oh, yeah?

Any other questions?

Take a high number, Dick.

Your life's gotta be worth a lot.

Oh, shit.

Don't scratch that menu.

They're asking for you in the conference room.

Midday meeting's not till noon.

Sorry.

Afternoon, Fred.

What's going on?

Look.

If the past 24 hours have shown us anything,

it's that you are one of a kind.

Your work is good. Your numbers are good.

You are the face of IBC.

Yeah, but everyone seems to think...

that...

Well, Ben, you had a really great way of phrasing it.

You're not a neutral observer anymore, Fred.

I mean, you've been put in an impossible situation,

and we can all respect that.

But our first responsibility here has to be to the news.

And we think that it would be in the best interest of the station...

for you to step down as News Director until this is all over.

It's just a temporary measure to avoid any whiff of impropriety.

You're still the anchor. You're still the voice of IBC.

You just won't be included in the news meeting.

Who's gonna to replace me?

I will be acting News Director.

What if I say no? What if I say let me keep doing my job?

Or you can explain to everybody why you fired Fred Heckman

in the middle of the biggest news story in the history of Indianapolis?

Then we walk.

I'm just trying to avert disaster here, Fred.

- Any whiff of impropriety. - You all agree to this?

Well, we discussed it, and we thought that maybe...

I would like to hear it from my staff.

Sorry, Fred.

It's what's best for the station.

Ginny.

I think that the old you

would say that if a man with a gun wants to tell us what to report,

he should come here himself.

You know what I always say?

When you go to the track,

you put the money you're gonna bet with in your right pocket,

nothing in your left pocket and if at the end of the races,

both pockets are empty, you break even.

Yeah.

Mr. Fairbanks, who is your biggest fan, also agrees.

There's just so much scrutiny now that any whiff of impropriety...

Will you stop saying "whiff of impropriety," please?

You understand why it has to be like this.

I would have appreciated the opportunity to make this decision myself.

I'm sorry, Fred.

It's time for us to have the midday meeting.

Thanks, Ricky.

Mr. Kiritsis.

Special agent Cormac McNally. We spoke on the phone.

How's he doing?

He's about to be much better.

I got a friend of a friend. He's clearing $800,000 a year.

And he's gonna open up the bar.

He figures it'll be about one point...

That's lamb moussaka.

Do you smell that?

I swear I'd died and gone to heaven, but you're still here.

Tony? It's me.

Jimmie?

How you doing, aderfulis?

I'm good. Jimmie. Sorry about all this.

I hate that you had to come up here.

No, I'm...

Yeah, I'm sorry it took me so long.

No, you got the campaign, and...

Shit. The campaign.

How are the buttons moving?

Yeah, don't worry about me, Tone.

Hey.

How are you set for food? Thought a taste of home might do you good.

- You put sugar in the keema? - Yeah.

Just like mom.

They didn't put you up to this?

This isn't some kind of trap?

No, Tone. Of course not.

All right.

Yeah?

Hang on.

Okay. I'm putting the food down.

- You okay? - Yeah, Jimmie. Wait, hang on.

Yeah?

My hands are... are sweaty, Jimmie.

Okay.

You go and share that with the boys downstairs, Jimmie.

Tell them I can't come out until I get what I'm owed.

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.

Okay, Tone.

Hey, you're home early. Is everything okay?

Yeah. Status quo.

- Have you seen my gloves? - They should be in the trunk.

Well, they should be in my pockets, but they're not. And I'm...

Sorry. I already looked in there.

- I heard you come in last night. - Yeah. I couldn't sleep.

Yeah, I wasn't sleeping either.

I need you to talk to Ibby again.

I'm not her friend, Fred. I'm just a woman who's...

She is a very private person,

and I don't know that I'm comfortable intruding on her again.

We're right at the finish line here, Barb.

- And McNally says... - McNally says what?

If you need me to do it, I'll do it.

Thank you.

I always heard you weren't supposed to prune in the winter.

It's easier to reshape when the stems are bare.

That way, she won't waste energy growing new leaves.

How interesting.

The new fence is awfully tall.

You said it would have a trellis for the top two feet.

Barb, good fences make good neighbors.

I'm worried about 6 feet of shade starving my roses.

Well, you'll still get plenty of good sun.

Yes, but just not eight hours of direct light,

which the roses need to survive.

Well, then I will pray for a miracle that there will be enough light to go around.

Always a pleasure.

Yes? What? Hello.

Hi, Ibby. It's Barb. Barbara Heckman.

I wanted to see how you're doing.

Well, Jenny has a Cheerio stuck in her ear.

There's a photographer outside who, for whatever reason,

keeps telling me to flash him a smile.

And an hour ago, someone called the house

and told me they hoped that Dick gets his head blown off.

How are you?

That's awful, Ibby. I'm sorry.

You don't have to keep telling me you're sorry.

Look, I was wondering if you were up for another call with Dick.

If that's all right.

So you're in charge of handling me, is that it?

No, I just...

- You know, if you needed... - Barb, I...

I don't need support, or casseroles, or prying eyes.

I need this to be done.

You can tell that to Fred and the cops, and whoever else keeps trotting you out.

I really have to go.

Thanks for the call.

Jesus.

Hey, right there.

Jimmie for sheriff. Take a pen here.

Jimmie for sheriff. Please tell anyone you know in Plainview.

Oh, and get some moussaka.

This is gonna go bad, and we don't want that.

Excuse me, sir.

- Are you Jimmie Kiritsis? - I am.

Do you have any comment on reports

that your brother once held his own sister hostage?

What's that?

There's a report tomorrow morning running in the IndyStar.

Do you have any comment about when your brother

held your sister Effie hostage for money?

That's a family matter. It has nothing to do with any of this.

You all wanna make my brother out to be evil.

But Tony is a good man who is pushed too far.

And the stories saying otherwise, they're complete fabrication.

That's right, Jimmie! That's right! You tell them!

Situation that, you know, you don't know anything about.

Oh, fuck.

You're taking something that's just not true, flat out lies,

and I won't have it.

- Hello? - Tony, it's me.

Jimmie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

I know, you wanna be sheriff, and that this is gonna hurt your chances.

Oh, it's okay, Tony.

Okay, listen to me. No clouds, okay? No clouds.

Tony? Tony, listen to me.

But Tony is a good man who is pushed too far.

Listen. Tony...

Do have any comment about when your brother held

your sister Effie hostage?

Tony. Okay, listen to me.

It's gonna be okay. No clouds, okay?

Tony. Tony?

Tony?

- No clouds. - Jimmie, they're playing dirty.

- Tony, listen to me. - No, no, no.

- It's gonna be okay. - No, it's not, Jimmie.

They're playing dirty. They're playing dirty.

- It's gonna be okay. - No, it's not.

Listen, you tell Fred Heckman I have some final thoughts.

For the five o'clock hour. I'm Ben Hairston.

Our top story remains the crisis unfolding in Crestwood Apartments,

a tense situation with a flurry of activity

without developments that are concrete.

This is a part of the problem...

Hey, grab more of that shit.

Hey!

What are you doing?

That's the most trusted man on the radio.

What do you think you're doing? What's wrong with you?

You're stealing from people during a hostage crisis? Come on.

People's lives are at stake here. Do you not understand that?

Or are you too goddamn stupid?

You're Ritchie's dad, right?

- How do you know him? - I don't really, I just... I know Amy.

Jesus. Give me this. Get out of here. Go home.

You're needed downstairs.

Yeah.

44-year old Anthony Kiritsis shackled a sawed-off shotgun

with a tape and wire to the back of Meridian President Richard Hall's head,

marched him through the streets of Downtown

past police officers and onlookers, and then...

Dicky-boy missed his chance.

A swing and a miss!

Fred, this is Jimmie Kiritsis.

- Oh, hi. Nice to meet you. - Hey.

Oh, Tony just loves you, Mr. Heckman. And thanks for what you've been doing.

- Tell Fred what you told me. - Right.

Well, you see, Tony's...

He's getting cloudy.

I'm sorry, cloudy?

Since he was a kid, he gets these moods where it's like clouds gathering,

you know, and he withdraws.

Used to be he wouldn't leave his room for weeks.

He says he wants to go on the air and share some final thoughts.

Despondency is death, Fred.

You've got to keep him up.

Yeah. Sure, sure.

Whatever happens, keep him happy.

- Yeah, right. Yeah. - You focus on the good things.

Ask him about Jimmie and the food.

Ask him about the steakhouse.

Okay, okay.

And don't lean too hard on the table. It's pretty flimsy.

Okay. Jesus.

Okay. He's ready.

Will impact Mr. Kiritsis's demand for immunity,

but as the crisis ticks into its 33rd hour, just how...

remains to be seen.

We're going to go now to Fred Heckman, who's standing by. Fred?

Thank you, Ben. This is Fred Heckman. I've just...

I've just heard from Tony Kiritsis who has a request,

who wants to share some thoughts.

Tony, are you... are you there?

You know the saddest thing is...

I honestly thought that if people knew what this man and his family did to me,

if only they knew, they'd demand it be made right.

But I was wrong.

Hold on a minute there, Tony.

You and I were both listening when people were calling in

and telling you how much they were behind you.

So what?

You know, a lot of people said a lot of nice things about me,

but that saddens me

'cause I'm gonna be a marked man for the rest of my days,

whether I live another week or 100 years.

I saw out front, I saw it on TV,

they got a stand that says "I heart Dick" shirts.

People just waiting to see me die.

No, no, Tony. I'm gonna have to fact check you there.

I am a journalist here.

The reason you saw all those "I heart Dick" shirts

is simply because the "Free Tony" shirts had all sold out by breakfast.

Your lawyers are working as we speak on your immunity agreement, okay?

You know what it's like to be on stage. I'm fucking naked up here.

You know, everyone wants to see you dance. I've been dancing for my whole life.

And I'm done. I'm done.

Well, now, what about your brother Jimmie?

Tony, what about your brother?

What it did... what did it feel like to see him?

Well, you know, I was the best man at his wedding.

And what have I given him in thanks? Nothing.

- I've been a fucking liability. - Well, hold on a minute, Tony.

Now, I've just spoken to Jimmie just now, and let me tell you,

there is... there is not a man alive

who is... who is more proud of his little brother

than... than your brother Jimmie, okay?

He was telling me how he can't wait

to take his kids to the... to the Magdalena Steakhouse.

Fuck. That's a fucking pipe dream.

There are so many people here, me, Jimmie, all your supporters,

all of us who all want you to hold on to hope.

Oh, shit. You know what?

Hope is bullshit. Shit.

I learned... I learned that lesson like I learned every other lesson in my life.

I learned it the hard way.

I was 20 years old when I watched my mother die

and I stood above her casket and I made a blood oath on her grave

that I would look after my family even though they cheated and lied to me.

I spent the next 20 years praying and that got me nowhere.

Fred, I don't wanna die.

Partly because I've never lived,

but also just 'cause I know nothing comes afterwards.

Just one long dark.

Well, Tony, I... understand you. I...

I know what you're going through here.

You don't know what it feels like, Fred. No, you don't.

You got it so good.

You know, you do the news and everyone loves you

and then you go home every night happy.

You don't know anything about me, Tony.

Exactly.

You talk to me in the same calm voice that you do everyone else.

Then once I'm gone, you're gonna be...

You're gonna go on to your next story

and then you just... you go home to your wife and kids.

You'll never know what it's like to be without hope.

To be without hope.

I... I lost a daughter, Tony.

I... I didn't know that, Fred.

Yeah, well, I...

I know that you... you don't abandon hope without hope abandoning you first,

that's for sure.

My... my wife...

throughout her whole pregnancy, was knitting a blanket,

forest green yarn with a...

with a moss green stitch on it. Beautiful.

Pretty much the only sound you heard in our house

for nine months was the clacking of knitting needles.

We had hope.

We had hope coming out of our ears.

Patricia was 11 weeks old and 2 days and we buried her in that blanket.

So I thought, there's either no God or there is a God and He chose to do this.

And I'd rather believe in no God.

So I stopped going to church, I stopped praying,

I stopped doing pretty much everything. We both did.

And if you would have told me there was someone I could have pulled a gun on

and gotten my revenge, I promise you, boy, I would have taken it.

But instead...

instead, I talked to little Patricia. I talked to her. I...

I talked to her all the time. Every day.

Until soon, I realized, what I realized was...

I was... I was praying to her.

I knew she was out there somewhere and so then my prayers... they grew.

They grew larger.

Until after a while I realized that I was... I was praying to God.

Tony, my little girl had led me right back to God.

Now, I'm not trying to just tell you that my journey and your journey are the same,

but I am telling you that I understand what it feels like to feel so cold

that you'll never feel warm again.

But you will, Tony. You will.

I talk to my mother, Magdalena.

She's an angel, just like your little girl.

Yes, sir.

They're both up there, Tony.

They're both up there looking down on us.

What do you think your mom... what do you think your mom wants?

She'd want me to live.

- Yeah. - I think so too.

I think so too. So why don't you and I work together on this?

Make sure we get through this thing safe and sound. How's that?

Yeah. Yeah.

Let me call you back. Let me call you back, all right?

All right, Tony. You'll call me.

Yeah. Okay.

Thank you, Fred. Okay.

This is Fred Heckman, WIBC News, 1070.

Back to you, Ben.

That was...

That was Fred Heckman and Tony Kiritsis.

We'll be back.

1070

WIBC

I'm sorry.

We don't talk about her.

We have never talked about her, Fred.

And now you have.

To an entire city.

Your ride's here.