Original subtitles

How are you going to love Abigail Crowe?

Why is that?

Because she knows how to keep order. You do like order, don't you, Cobb?

She's in charge of all the DA's paper.

Jane never lost a step. Come here.

Sanchez, take this on down to the homicide department.

The only trouble is she chews through fire clerks like a hog rooting through

slob. You're really getting off on this, aren't you, Pinkston? No log against a

man loving his work.

I love my work.

The court got me.

Yeah, but all that zeal you brought to the line of duty got a man named Ortega

killed. Well, that's a bunch of crap, and you know it. I'm a good cop,

Pinkston, a damn good cop.

I should be taking down criminals, not pushing papers around for some dried-up,

old, shriveled dirtbag. Miss Crowe.

This is Detective Cobb. He'll be assisting you until his difficulties are

resolved.

Go get him, Tiger.

We've got a lot of work to do. I suggest we get started.

Sure.

What do you like to be called, Miss, uh, Abby?

Miss Crone would be fine.

Yeah, boy.

She was my girlfriend in college. I haven't seen her in six years.

I can't go through this again.

Through what?

Truth of a woman.

Charlotte and I are just saying hello again.

I love you, Tess.

I would move in with you tomorrow. You are the one who keeps holding back. I'm

not ready.

Well, what am I supposed to do? Just sit home and wait?

Do what you want.

Tess, you can't run away from this.

I know that Bruce keeps hurting you.

But I'm not Bruce.

And I need to spend time with the woman that I love.

There's so much work.

There is always a lot of work.

It's an easy excuse.

If people want something bad enough, they find time for it.

The district attorney's office is very concerned with the swift administration

of justice.

Matter of fact. And the key to speedy justice is paper. If these documents...

Police reports, indictments, motions, depositions are lost or misplaced.

Someone's whole life could fall between the cracks.

Gives you a real sense of power, huh?

Responsibility. I never go home before every document is filed.

You must have the social life of a robot.

Someone wind you up in the morning or do you run on batteries?

If I were in your position, detective, I think I might dispense with the levity.

Ma'am, if you were in my position, you would take the levity wherever you can

find it.

Oh, really?

Come on, Pat. We make dozens of plea bargains every day. It's the nature of

the beast.

Willie Horton? Oh, come on.

Okay, okay.

I'll review them, but I am sure that there's nothing that can hurt us.

All right.

Once you throw your hat in the ring, your whole life becomes public property.

I would cut it closer right about there, sweetheart.

Yeah.

Do you think I'm vulnerable to this plea bargain thing?

Not a bit.

Just remind the people that the system's overloaded, and if you're in power, you

can help streamline things.

Yeah, another empty promise.

Thank you, Lewis.

Yeah, but the voters will not know that until you're well in office.

You're a real comfort to me, Burke.

Look, speaking of streamlining, the office is building up a little bit of a

backlog.

Morning, Tess.

Come in.

You still want the Cobb case? Oh, I can handle it. I gotta move fast, though.

Go ahead.

I'll get the investigators right on it.

See you, Tess.

How can you send him after Dickie? I am not sending anyone after anyone.

A criminal complaint has been filed, Tess. And I need this case to be handled

capably. Code at the election.

If Cobb's innocent, surely that'll come out in court.

Yes, it is me, the district attorney's favorite Kelly girl.

Are you okay?

Okay? Yeah.

I'm the happiest guy on the face of the earth. Really? Really. I am getting a

bird's eye view of what makes the system work.

Scraps of paper.

Your life. My life.

The lives of our fellow citizens. All typed up, filled out, and recorded and

filed away. I mean, if it weren't for this paper, you and I, we wouldn't

exist. Come on, Big Pete.

Come on.

Just trying to keep a stiff upper lip until all this garbage goes away.

Nothing, ma'am? Nothing.

I can't get any witnesses to come forward.

Everyone seems to want to believe that I am guilty.

Except me. Yeah, except you.

It's nice to have someone to count on.

Let's read the first hundred pages of Moby Dick for next week.

is one of the greatest books ever written.

Good night, people.

Good night, Weldon.

Don't look so overwhelmed, Miss, uh... Lockman. Kay Lockman.

All those books I never read in high school.

Probably had your mind on other things.

Drop out? No, I finished.

Barely.

So now you're back for a fresh look at things?

Divorce? Kids in school?

Dead-end job?

I know.

You want to be a writer?

No marriage, no kids.

I have my own business.

And I never even thought about becoming a writer.

I just wanted to try something new.

What kind of business?

I own a bar.

Very good.

What bar would that be?

It's called The Line Up. It's a cop bar.

I've seen it.

Maybe I'll stop in and wet my whistle sometime.

I don't think anyone there's ever read Moby Dick.

No problem. I've never arrested anyone.

You're my lawyer.

You tell me what to expect.

What you have to face is that you could become a scapegoat. You know, Rodney

King, hard times and all that.

They have nothing on me.

Internal affairs have been all over this thing. They have zip, zero, and they

know it. But they're hot to hang it on someone. And they got people out there

who hate cops enough to lie about anything you might have done.

Let them call the dog catcher the next time they're in trouble.

You gotta deal with this.

No. What I gotta do is find someone who really saw what happened.

You got any help?

Help? What, are you kidding me? The only help I'll get is someone tightening the

noose around my neck. Well, you better find some help.

The DA's put Darren Burke on your case. His investigators are already working

the streets.

Really? Burke?

That little twerp?

I ought to... You ought not to wring his weaselly neck, even though I'd be happy

to help you.

What do I do?

Well, since you don't have any friends to help, there's no law against you

finding a witness yourself.

No. There's no law against me playing the lottery, either.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna win.

But there's always a chance.

If you don't play, there isn't.

Hey, Cobb.

Hey, Nogato.

Thanks for coming down. How you doing? Probably better than you.

Doesn't look like the job you were trained for.

I don't know.

They say administrative and desk duty will make a man out of you.

Taking away a person's work doesn't make a man out of anyone.

So, you want an escort to the barrio?

Sure.

You okay with that? Just because Ortega was Chicano doesn't mean I think you

killed him.

I didn't mean that. Yeah, you did.

Look, I took an oath not to see any color in crime.

Black, white, red, yellow.

A perp's a perp, and I'll take him in even if he's my own brother.

I appreciate it.

Seems like the only perp people are seeing these days is Dickie Cobb.

What'd I do?

Why the hell is everybody after me?

Well, I think you know why the cops are after you.

Down there in the body, oh, that's a whole other world. That's what I'm on

here.

Why aren't these things being filed? We're talking about my case. You can

talk about it on your own time. It's vital these things be filed.

It's more vital to me that I get my name cleared. You've got a real attitude

problem, officer. I may have to report you.

Report me?

Lady, I'm about to be charged with murder.

I don't care if I get reported.

I mean, come on! What are you gonna do? Put me in a corner with a dust cap on my

head?

Please! Miss Abigail Krohn!

Report me to anyone you damn well please. You want these files? Yes.

Mr.

Cobb.

Thanks, Cobb.

This. Am I missing something here, guys?

I mean, I know I'm supposed to be a headbreaker and all that, but Baker, I

never got near yours.

Hey, we're out on the streets trying to repair the damage you've done with this

Ortega beef and some eight-year-old brains him with a bottle. Hey, I'm sorry

about your partner's head, but I think it's a real stretch to lay that on me.

Don't seem like a stretch to me.

You go out on the street, kick butt, the people strike back.

Yeah, only problem is they hit the wrong guy. I don't guess it ever occurred to

either one of you that I didn't do it.

That this whole story is a bunch of bull? That's something you're going to

have to prove.

The law says innocent until proven guilty.

What?

Maybe you two guys forgot that?

Maybe you should stay out of here until this thing is settled and stay away from

working cops.

Yeah, go on back to your nanny at the filing cabinets, huh?

How's your pasta?

How good?

It's bland, flat.

But I don't think anything is going to taste good right now.

What's going to happen with us, Tess?

Is it up to me?

In a way, it is up to you.

I mean, we've run into a brick wall. We can't go backward.

And we can't stand still.

Why can't we wait?

I can't wait, Tess. It's not my nature. And love

doesn't stand still. It either grows or it withers and it dies.

Settle or stagnate.

Settle.

Take it easy.

I don't think I can do that. But don't say this is up to me.

But you won't move ahead with me. And you will wait for me.

I don't want to stop going out.

I surrender.

Let's wait a little.

At least enjoy our meal.

Okay?

I never

thought I'd see the day you'd be reading Moby Dick in between serving drinks.

Just trying to broaden my horizons, Dickie.

Yeah, well, a month ago, I was ready to head to California.

Now you're becoming a literary scholar.

How do you think I'd do in California?

Fine.

Unless you were running away from something.

Is it really that bad?

Yeah, I think it is.

Other cops.

They've always questioned my judgment, but deep down they knew they could trust

me to be straight.

And now?

Now I feel betrayed.

Twelve years on the force, no one even believes me on this Ortega thing.

Then maybe it is time to get out.

There's lots of things you'd be good at. Everything else pretty much feels like

marking time.

I need to feel like I'm contributing.

Making the world a better place.

I remember my first year on the force, I had to walk a beat on Christmas Eve.

God, I was mad.

I was lonelier than hell.

Then I collared this guy who snatched a lady's purse and all her presents.

And then later that night, I fished a drunk out of a snowdrift and I got him

home to his family.

Santa Cobb.

That must have made you feel proud.

It's the first time in my life that I've ever felt that me being here

meant something.

That I was actually put on this planet to do something besides

take up space and die.

I don't think anything else can make me feel that way.

Looks like you're going to have to stay here and fight it.

That's where it looks that way, doesn't it?

Nada.

I didn't see nothing.

Yeah, sure he did.

You asked Galindo, huh?

Ask him about the police that killed his boy.

Whatever happened, it wasn't me.

After a while, you all look alike.

This is my life I'm asking for here.

Nobody asked about his son's life.

Let's call it a day, Delgado.

I don't think they'd say anything and tell us what happened, even if they saw

what went down.

I think you're right.

I'm sorry.

That's your fault.

I was just trying to help!

Cops tried to help before.

That man's son was killed when we came down here on a gang thing.

Mrs. Munoz called us on a domestic thief.

Cops didn't take her husband away, and an hour later, he beat their daughter to

death. Ortega and his group, they're a bunch of drug dealers, and you'd think

they'd want to get them out of the neighborhood.

They know the dealers are always going to be here.

Because nobody cares enough to get at the real problems.

Come on, Delgado. God, I'm a cop. I'm not a sociologist.

Me too.

But we're both part of a system that these people don't get any stake in.

Disrupting things is the only power they've got.

You a drinker?

Upon occasion.

I think now's an occasion.

Here you are, fellas.

Thanks. Did I get you anything else?

Sorry I'm late.

I decided to hang on to a couple of my little character flaws.

You don't mind, do you?

I never minded your character flaws. I guess I minded some of yours.

Yeah, going to class, studying.

I didn't understand ambition.

When you left me, went off to sing in Myron's band, I almost tagged along. I

wanted to be with you so much, I was willing to put my ambition in the trash

can. But you didn't.

Because I knew it wouldn't make any difference whether I changed or not. You

didn't want to be with me.

That was then.

You were probably the best thing I ever had.

I was even hoping that...

You know.

Boy.

Yeah, things just never seem to come up right.

Your D.A. friend?

We talking marriage here?

It's not like that, Charlotte, but I can't just toss it because you rolled

back into town after five years.

You've changed. I've changed.

I mean, who knows what we'd have together?

Hmm.

Only one way to find out.

Maybe more than one way.

Let's take some time.

Get to know each other again.

As friends.

Morning, Tess.

I thought I'd...

Come by and say hello before I have to go back to Abigail Crone.

How's it going?

Fine. You?

Terrible.

I don't think I could pay anybody to come and be a witness for me.

I'm sorry.

And that slug Burke, he's probably ready to go to the grand jury.

God, I'd like to take...

You okay?

What's wrong?

Everything.

Sean, look at Bruce.

Bruce?

What'd Bruce do now?

Well, hell.

His apartment sounded big enough for eight.

The only thing a smaller place will hurt is his ego.

Yeah, well, you better not give him any money.

I don't know.

Well, I do, Tess.

It won't help him, Tess.

He'll just go right on thinking that he can get away with this stuff.

That there'll always be somebody there.

to pull his chestnuts out of the fire i feel mean

hey i know

you do but if you really care about this guy you'll make him stand on his

own two feet

You most certainly should burden me with your problems

Helps me forget about my own

I'm here for you

Part of the job description

Pinkston, why?

Do you want to have a beer?

Oh, listen, don't you get wise.

I have had it with you.

Walking out on this throne, calling in sick.

I have used two sick days in the last 12 years.

And besides, I am real sick of this crap.

Yeah. Yeah, well, you better toe the line, or you're going to find yourself

at home with no badge, no gun, and no pay.

Yes, sir.

Morning, sir.

How's the campaign going?

I'll tell you after the election.

It's chilly in here, isn't it?

I'm sorry.

Come on, Gold.

You act like I'm trying to hit you up for a loan. Can't you appreciate my

position here, Cobb? The press would love to catch us in bed together.

I was just trying to say hello. Well, you know it could be read the wrong way.

You know that as well as I do.

I've got to keep this investigation completely above board.

Yeah, I'm sure Darren Burke will see to that. He's a good prosecutor. He's very

thorough. He is an ambitious little bloodsucker who'd sell out his mother to

advance his career.

Sorry cop I've got to go with my toughest on this one Of course you have

my best wishes.

Hi, I'm on. How are you? Good to see I just like

Made

me feel like the loneliest guy in the world He was clear I'll give him

that you know right where I stood

Yeah, and a tightrope rubber quicksand.

Hell of a guy.

It's funny, but I just can't take it in.

I'm being sued for $3 million, and I could be tried for murder.

But it doesn't seem real at all.

Now, the discussion of illusion versus reality.

Hi, Miss. Told you I'd stop by. How you doing?

Good.

Weldon Lewis.

He's my teacher.

Vicky Kopp.

Well, the cop, right?

Don't believe everything you read.

I hear you're good.

Who, from her?

I don't know. I read about you. I keep up.

All those professors keeping up on the brutality cases, huh?

Funny how everyone's got their stereotypes.

Most of my colleagues think cops are goons.

I guess most cops think we're all soft on crime.

How about another round for all of us, okay? On me.

Sure. Thanks, Weldon.

Where do you stand, Weldon?

Well, I guess some cops are goons. I think most of them work their butts off

in losing battles. Sort of like being a teacher, huh?

There are... Compensations.

So you're, uh... No.

No, not anymore.

Good. But go easy on her.

She's had a rough time lately.

What kind of name is Weldon, anyway?

It's an old family name.

Uncle of mine.

Had a touch of the poet in him.

When he drowned it in sour mash.

This looks bad.

Guess I've really done it to myself this time.

My new apartment is a cheese box.

I even had to sell some of my clothes.

My camel hair coat.

I loved that coat.

I guess I could be out on the street with nothing.

I don't want to go to prison, Tessie.

I can't.

They'd eat me alive.

Then don't fight this.

You think if I cop to it all, I can get out of the penitentiary?

Maybe not.

But you will be done with it.

You ought to throw me out of here.

After all the pain and embarrassment I've caused you.

It's a bit hard.

But life goes on.

For you, maybe it goes on.

You've got your work, you've got Sean Kelly, friends.

I cannot believe how badly I've mangled things.

All because of greed. Because for some stupid reason, I thought I could have

whatever I wanted.

I trashed my life, ruined our relationship, made a total mess of

everything.

I feel like I'm a thousand years old.

You could start over.

You have plenty of time.

Just like that, huh?

Not easy.

But what else can you do?

He might go to jail.

In the first place, he probably deserves to go to jail.

And once he's been there for three months, he'll probably con half those

guys into working for him.

I don't think so.

I hope you're right.

I just don't want you to fall in the same trap.

Get burned again.

I won't.

How's the case?

My case?

What, is that some kind of a joke?

Maybe you can use your influence with Bruce.

Get me a job working for him in the pen.

Come on.

What's going on?

Nothing.

Not a thing?

Going down there tonight.

See what I can find.

Be careful.

It happened right back over there.

You guys are around here all the time.

Must have seen something.

I don't think nobody saw nothing but you beating on Ortega.

Yeah. But where are they?

I guess you'll see them at your trial.

Thanks, man. You're a lot of help.

An invitation to leave.

Not a very polite one.

Amigo.

I think you better take him.

These men, they drink too much.

No telling what they'll do.

Thanks.

Amigo. Let's go, cop. This can only get worse.

Anytime, senor.

I ought to just plead guilty.

Get it over with. I wouldn't give up.

These witnesses may talk a good battle now, but things may change when they get

on the stand facing perjury.

I'll keep checking around.

Why are you doing this, Bethany? Because you're such a handsome, sexy gringo. I

knew it had to be something like that.

Please,

please! Back off!

Drop the knife.

Don't ever bring a knife to a gunfight.

Come on.

Having fun yet?

Come on.

Take it easy.

Feels good, doesn't it? What's that?

Being a cop again?

Hey, guys.

Got another case of police brutality here for you.

Go ask that girl there, the one these two were going after. See if you can't

get her to come forward and testify against me, too.

Get out of here.

What in the hell is going through this mind of yours?

In the first place, Pinkston, I was down there on my own time.

Trying to clear my name.

I hope you'll forgive me for breaking up a rape.

You're on administrative desk duty.

You're not on street duty. You're lucky you're not in jail.

Oh, I would love to see you guys lock me up on this one.

Huh? You want to do that?

Want to cuff me? Take me down there?

Come on.

Come on. Do it.

Call the reporters, too. They'd love to get a hold of this one. That's not the

point. Well, the point is, Pinkston, I did my job.

I'd do it again.

I want you to know that.

And if you don't like that, I want you to fire me. Oh, you're in enough trouble

as it is, Cobb. But you have to know that I'll do my job.

Anywhere. Anytime.

Now, your job is filing for Ms. Abigail Crone.

I want you to get back to it.

That's it?

That's it, Cobb. Hmm.

No letter of reprimand for my father.

I'm late for a meeting, Kingston.

Get out of here, Coleman. It's been a pleasure, gentlemen.

This isn't working, is it? I'm sorry.

I don't understand.

What we've had together has been really special.

I know.

And I care for you a lot.

Then why?

I just need to be by myself right now.

Being by yourself isn't good.

I need to find that out right now.

Do you understand?

I don't.

But it's pretty clear that I'm gonna have to try.

I love you, Tess.

Back to the salt mines.

Sisyphus' work is never done.

Sissy who?

The myth of Sisyphus. Albert Camus' metaphor for modern man.

Sisyphus was sentenced, hey, was sentenced for an eternity pushing a huge

rock up a hill only to have it roll back down again.

Sounds like me.

Hey, Dickie.

But Camus said one must imagine Sisyphus happy.

I'm not related to that guy.

Hear me, Kate. Enjoy yourselves.

Oh, uh, I'll call you.

On Saturday?

Okay. Bye, Weldon. Okay.

Bye.

Saturday, huh?

We're going to dinner and a movie.

Date?

I think that's what you call it.

Do I have your permission?

Oh, hell, Kate, don't ask me. Come on, Dickie, I'm joking.

He's a nice guy.

Yeah, seems fine.

But then so did Krohmeyer, and he turned out to be a rapist.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

It's okay.

I appreciate you looking out for me.

But I'm really trying to get past this thing of mistrusting every guy I meet.

It's no way to live.

I'd go along as a chaperone.

Thanks, but I think I can handle this one myself.

Tessie, it's late.

What? May I come in?

Yeah, yeah, sure.

This is it.

Not much, huh?

It's fine. It's fine.

Here.

This is for you.

That's sweet of you, Tess.

You didn't have to.

Enough.

I wanted to.

Why?

I wish you well.

Playing guitar again?

Yeah.

Singing the blues.

Just like in college, remember?

What happened, Tessie?

I used to love making music.

Even thought I'd make a career out of it.

Then I gave it all up for the law and the almighty dollar.

You could play again.

Maybe you're right.

Become a teen idol.

So, why aren't you with Sean Kelly tonight?

Uh, we...

Thank you.

Good luck.

Grand jury should return the indictment tomorrow.

Murder.

And assault under the color of authority with the intent to inflict great bodily

harm. A lot of words.

What do we do?

Darren Burke is not giving me a thing.

Either you confess or we go to trial.

Well, hell, I'm not confessing.

You think I got any chance on this at all?

Only if I can break the witnesses.

That's always a possibility, but I won't know that until I get them on the stand.

Are you ready for this?

I guess I've been getting ready for this all my life.

Well, let's hope luck is on our side.

Hey, Couch.

Tess told me you'd be here. Hey, Delgado.

Dr. Delgado, David Monk, my attorney. We were just discussing how I was going to

furnish my prison cell.

Don't pack your bags just yet. This is Carlos Galindo.

You saw him in the barrio? I remember.

Mr.

Galindo witnessed our bit of police work the other night. It seemed to have

jogged his memory about some other things as well.

I saw you.

I saw the men fight.

I will tell.

Where have you been, Mr. Cobb? Meeting with my lawyer, ma'am. I'm terribly

sorry if I've caused you any inconvenience. I don't want apologies, I

want results. You're just going to have to stay until all these are put away.

Well, you see, I got a problem with that, ma'am.

Because I want to relax.

Knock back a brewski, have some laughs.

Well, you can't leave here. Tell you what, why don't you cut that stuff

loose, Abigail?

Why don't you just come with me?

Before you go out for your laughs, Officer Cobb, these things must be

filed. Abigail.

Abigail, Abigail, Abigail.

You just don't understand, do you? My filing days are over.

You don't have Dickie Cobb to kick around anymore.

These files must be put away.

Well, maybe I can get Captain Pinkston to come on in here and give you a hand.

Abigail, you ought to let your hair down.

Even a cactus needs a little water now and then.

That's terrific. Okay, now I want to give you a shot of the two of them

shaking hands, okay?

Wait a minute.

Okay. Okay,

now I want to try something... Have a lovely evening, gentlemen.

Carl, that ain't quitting time. The throne lets you go. I forgot the

alphabet, and she doesn't like me anymore.

Burke.

How you doing, Burke?

How goes the battle?

You're about to find out, Cobb. Galindo.

Carlos Galindo. Carlos Galindo. Yeah, I remember the name.

You're going to learn to love it.

You guys want to come down to the lineup later?

I'm buying.

I'm sorry about you and Sean, Tess, but I'm not going to let you bury yourself

in your office.

Want to tell you something you're gonna get the best out of life No, I guarantee

it because you are the best You're smart you're

attractive You do great work and you're a great friend And

when you're ready to be with a guy again You're gonna find the best guy that

there is I Don't know

You have to know.

They're rare stuff.

Even a dumb cop like me can see that.

Oh, and one more thing.

You've got your investigator back.

Yeah, I got a witness.

Why didn't you tell me?

You didn't ask.

I'm happy for you.

Yeah.

One little incident.

Could have cost me the most important thing in my life.

But it didn't.

Why not?

Dumb luck.

Because you did the right thing.

Yeah, well, a lot of people didn't think it was the right thing.

Well, I did.

Yeah.

And you did.

Hey, I'm getting up early tomorrow because I want to make sure to watch the

Today Show.

Oh, what's happening on today?

Brian Gumbel and Katie Couric will be broadcasting from Cuba with an inside

look at the people and the politics. Today in Cuba tomorrow morning. And

Unsolved Mysteries, a special one-hour...