Original subtitles

♪

The jury didn't deliberate long at all on the jury box.

Oh, Chief Ironside, now that the trial is over, do you have a statement to make about the verdict?

There was no verdict. It was a hung jury.

Well, then, would you like to make a comment about that?

I would like to, but I won't.

Well, let's have a word with Mr. Field.

This is the assistant district's attorney.

Do you plan on proceeding toward a new trial?

If I can.

What does that mean, sir?

Our key witness failed to show up. If he can be located, Mr. Kohler will stand trial again.

And if not, sir?

I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse me.

We'll get a statement from Mr. Rod Ballard, the defense counsel.

Mr. Ballard, are you satisfied with the outcome of this trial?

Of course not. We should have had an acquittal.

My client defended himself against a violent and unprovoked attack from Sergeant Lucci.

Sergeant Lucci's death was accidental.

Well, the assistant DA said he'd gotten a conviction if the key witness hadn't disappeared.

Any comment?

Seems I've heard statements like that before.

From the side that fails to prove its case. Now, if you'll excuse me.

Let's get Mr. Kohler. How about you? Do you feel that you received justice?

Like my lawyer said, I've got a right to defend myself against guys like Lucci.

Do you feel that your trial was handled fairly?

That's about all for today. Thank you very much.

Lied in his teeth. So did his lawyer.

Vicious and unprovoked attack. That wasn't Dave Lucci, and you know it.

Kohler murdered him. How they can let him walk around?

Frank, we have a witness. We'll find him. Kohler will stand trial again.

Sure. And then he'll walk again. Just like that. Come on, you know better.

Dave Lucci was my partner.

You expect me to just stand here and...

I expect you to sit down and cool off.

Good old Ed Brown.

Steady, Eddie.

Now, it's been a long time since Police Academy.

You haven't changed a bit.

Neither have you.

No, I guess not.

You want another beer?

I can drink to you.

Old buddy.

One last paragraph. That's all I need.

The ninth grade of James Madison Junior High...

would like you to address them on the subject of law enforcement.

For or against?

I accept.

Okay, got it. Thanks, Bill.

I applied for time off.

I understand you recommended against it.

That's right.

I have some vacation time coming.

Not right now.

Can I ask why?

The District Attorney's Office and the Homicide Division...

are both looking for Nick Walston until they request help.

Those officers have 8,000 other things to do.

Just two weeks of concentrated effort.

Nick Walston will be found, at which time there will be a new trial.

Meanwhile, you are not going on a one-man crusade to nail Coulter.

Dave was my friend.

Which is precisely why you'll stay out of it.

You think you can work this passionately or objectively on this case?

No.

You've just answered your own question.

Now I'm asking you to stay out of it.

Yes?

Sergeant Carlson, SFPD.

You've either got to get my glasses or take your word for it, so I'll take your word for it.

I'd like some information about a tenant of yours.

Nick Walston?

No wonder taxes are so high.

All that duplication.

I already told everything I know to those other officers.

Mr. Walston was a very good tenant.

He always paid his rent on time.

He never gave me anybody any trouble.

When he went away two weeks ago, he didn't tell me where he was going.

Did he say he'd be back?

Well, he didn't tell me to rent his room, so I guess he'll be back.

Anyway, he's paid up till the end of the month.

Would it be all right if I looked over his room?

Sure, if you want to.

But the other officers, they've already done that.

They practically tore that room apart.

Well, like you said, I guess there's no sense in going over the same ground again.

Well, then...

What about his friends?

What did he do at night?

I don't know. I didn't watch.

I got a bigger laugh from the others when I said that.

Sorry.

Yeah, well...

At any rate, I don't know any of his friends.

Except for one.

And I just met him yesterday.

He came by to pick up a cigarette lighter he said he left in Mr. Walston's room.

I told him he couldn't take anything out of that room until the police said it was all right.

Did he leave a name?

Yeah.

Logan, Buster Logan.

He gave me his number so I could phone him at work and tell him when it was all right to pick it up.

Did you tell the other officers about this?

It only happened yesterday.

Nick and I used to get together about once a month to put away a few beers.

But not as much as we used to because, well, I got married.

But that's why I wanted to get that lighter when I remember where it was, you see,

because my old lady gave it to me.

Nick seemed worried last time he saw him.

Worried?

Of course he was worried.

Man, somebody else's murder rap going to court now?

That's to worry.

No, I mean about anything else. Threats or anything like that.

Nope. If there was any threats, I never heard.

Well, listen, did he say anything about a vacation coming up?

Vacation?

Guys like Nick and me don't get vacations unless we get laid off.

Well, what do you think, then?

Well, I, uh, I think the same as you.

I just think he got scared about what was coming up and he just took off.

Listen, you've known Walston for a number of years.

If he wanted to run away like that, where would he go?

Most anyplace.

You mean you won't say?

Now, look, if I was to say you might go and find Nick

and bring him back and make him say something or do something he don't want to do,

now what kind of friend am I?

We'd fix it for him. He wouldn't have to run away.

Oh, sure.

No, really. We'd take care of him.

Well, look, think about it, huh?

Call me, huh?

I promise Nick won't have to worry.

Yeah, well, I'll, uh, I'll sleep on it.

I'll sleep on it.

Hello, Calder? This is Buster.

Listen, there's a cop. His name is Sergeant, uh, wait a minute,

Frank Carlson. He kind of knows me around.

He thinks I know where Nick went.

Yeah, well, I figured you'd want to know.

Thanks.

I'm going to go get him.

I'll be right back.

I'll be right back.

I'll be right back.

I'll be right back.

I'll be right back.

I'll be right back.

I figured you'd want to know.

Thanks.

And keep in touch if he comes around again.

Maybe we can, uh, arrange to forget about your last two payments.

Good deal. So long.

1480, 1490, and that's 1500.

Good.

What brings you up to date?

And 500 more.

I got the money, so I thought I'd pay off the whole thing.

Oh, well, uh, that'll cost you 750.

750?

What for? I only owe 500.

Plus penalty for prepayment.

Well, it's all spelled out in that note you signed.

You fellas really know how to bleed a guy, don't you?

Emilio, I didn't ask you to borrow money from me.

Now, if you can find a better deal elsewhere, feel free.

Well, maybe next time I will.

Emilio, now, we both know that if you could have gotten that money someplace else,

you would have never been here in the first place.

Now, we both know that, don't we?

See you next week.

Oh, uh, here's this week's delinquents. I think you better read them.

I can't wait. We got bigger troubles.

What?

Logan just called.

Says a cop by the name of Frank Carlson, buddy of Lucci's,

is asking about Nick Walston.

Says the guy's really wound up.

No, no, no, we don't have that kind of problem.

You do.

I thought we were partners.

Well, I've been meaning to talk to you about that ever since you killed that cop.

You know, it's a different ballgame now.

I fixed it so that you could beat the rat, but from now on,

you're not going to be any good to me or yourself in this town.

Things will cool off.

Oh, no, no.

Not when it's a cop.

And you should have been smart enough to know that.

So?

So, I buy you out.

That way we both get off the hook.

How much?

A hundred thousand, cash on the line.

With that kind of money, you can buy a lot of distance between you and Lucci's friends.

It's worth more.

Maybe.

But you've had it here in this town, you know it.

If you get caught jaywalking, they're going to throw the book at you.

Take the money.

And live to enjoy it.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

No.

Not maybe.

I am right, period.

Okay.

Good.

It's going to take me a little while to get my hands on that much cash.

What time are you going to be home tonight?

I've got a few people to see.

I should make it by 10.30.

I'll be there.

I'll see you then.

I don't buy it.

But I'm not confident to work on this case, just because...

Well, it doesn't really matter whether you buy it or not, Frank.

You got the word.

You don't think Ironside can do anything wrong, do you?

Not very often, and not this time.

It's Homicide's job.

Let him do it.

Homicide wasn't Dave's partner.

Hello.

Yes.

Yes.

Fine.

Who was that?

A guy I used to know in the army.

He wants me to have a drink with him.

Do you mind?

I could use a drink myself.

Well, any other time, I'd be glad to have you join us.

He wants to talk over a personal problem.

Sure.

I'll see you.

I'll see you.

Bye.

Bye.

There were two shots.

I hit the deck, rolled, and fired one round.

Coulter fell.

Didn't move.

When did you know it was Coulter?

When I turned him over.

Were there any other persons in the alley at the time?

No.

None that I could see.

Right after, some people showed up.

Did you touch anything?

Only Coulter.

Did you see the gun?

No.

I didn't see the gun.

Only Coulter. Did you see the gun?

Not at that time. When did you see it?

When Lieutenant Chandler showed up with the detail from homicide.

Where was the gun at that time?

In Coulter's shoulder holster.

Coat buttoned over it? Yes, sir.

The lab report says that Coulter's gun had not been fired.

Well, then there must have been another gun.

The lab ran a paraffin test. According to it, Coulter had not fired any gun.

I don't know what to say.

You did say you were standing with your back to the alley wall when the shots were fired.

Alleged shots.

Hey, look, whose side are you on? I told you.

It has not been established that any shots were fired by any gun but yours.

Until such time as that point is established, we will not assume it to be fact.

Well, the shots must have gone somewhere.

According to the report from Lieutenant Chandler, no bullet holes were found on the wall behind you.

Now, Frank, you're certain Coulter shot at you. Positive.

Could those shots have been a car backfiring?

I saw flashes from a gun.

We have a report from a garage mechanic named Jerry Maxson.

He owns the garage that opens into the alley.

According to him, the car he was working on backfired a couple of times.

Then he heard a shot.

Hey, I've been shot at before.

Now, I know a gun flash when I see one.

Is it possible you just imagined flashes when you heard the sound

because you expected Coulter to shoot at you because you wanted him to?

In the first place, I didn't know it was Coulter.

And I saw those flashes.

That's it for now.

You are, of course, suspended from duty until a determination is made.

How long will that be?

That's up to Internal Affairs.

I'm sure they'll proceed with due dispatch.

Now, look, I didn't deliberately gun that man down.

No one said you did, Frank.

But it's bound to come up.

Once Internal Affairs gets through with the technicalities,

they'll go to work on motive,

including why you were outside Coulter's apartment building.

I told you both!

I didn't even know it was Coulter's apartment building.

I went there to get information about a missing witness.

Old friend from the Army.

I had to lie to you, Ed.

All this after I told you to leave that case alone.

When the landlady gave you that information about Buster Logan,

did you pass it on to Homicide?

No.

I thought I could handle it myself.

You wanted to handle it yourself.

Where did you meet Logan?

Right Works.

Ed can drive you there.

At least Buster Logan can verify that he called you.

What call?

The call you made to me last night.

I didn't call you last night.

You told me to think it over,

and I haven't finished thinking about it yet.

Ed, I'm telling you, this is the guy I talked to last night.

If you called him,

and they're covering it up for some reason,

I'd advise against it.

Because when we finish this case, if you're lying,

we'll have you for conspiracy to murder.

You understand?

I don't know nothing about any murder or any phone call.

Let's go.

Could it be somebody else calling him and saying it was Logan?

I wouldn't have any way of knowing.

I couldn't hear the guy's voice at all.

Why would he call Frank and then deny it?

I don't know.

Unless he got scared after what happened.

Or he was setting him up.

Well, you couldn't convict my partner in court,

so one of your own men took the law into his own hands, is that it?

If that's what you came here to say, you can save your breath.

No, I came here to tell you you're not going to sweep this under the rug.

I want you to know that.

I have no intention of sweeping anything under the rug, Mr. Keating,

including the details of your very lucrative business.

Well, if you ever find anything illegal about it, please let me know.

May rest assured.

In the meantime, why isn't that officer in jail?

The way you kept my partner?

Internal Affairs has not completed its investigation.

There's no charge against Sergeant Carlson.

Now, if you've no more questions...

No. No more questions. Just a statement of fact.

If you try to cover this up, I'll go over your head.

And you can depend on that.

Nice guy.

Mr. Maxson?

Hey.

I'd like to talk to you.

Oh.

Say, I hope I didn't make a big thing for that fellow with what I told a homicide lieutenant about the backfire.

You had to tell it the way it was.

I didn't mean that there was nobody outside when the motor backfired.

I just mean that I couldn't have heard it.

But it didn't come out that way in the paper, did it?

Mr. Maxson, would you tell us about those backfires exactly as they happened?

Oh, are you a cop?

Yeah, he's a cop.

Oh, sure. You see, I was working on this car last night.

Do you usually work nights?

Yeah, when I have to.

You see, I promised this cat that I'd have his car ready for him today.

You must have some very understanding neighbors.

Well, I really could care less about what my neighbors understand.

But anyway, this little dumbo's got an ignition problem.

The distributor shot, so I replaced it.

I'm checking it out when it backfires.

Bang back, just like that.

Can you make it backfire again?

Sure, no sweat.

Okay?

Yeah.

Now, you heard that one shot just seconds after you turned off the motor.

Yeah, right.

And you ran out to find Sergeant Carlson bending over the body.

Yeah, that's right.

I think that covers it for now. Thank you for your time, Mr. Maxson.

Well, let me know if there's anything else I can do.

Hey, I hope I didn't make any waves with that detective.

Mr. Yee?

Yes?

Police.

You own this shop?

Yes.

Ed?

I'm sorry, I don't know who you are.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

I'm Ed.

You know this man?

Yes.

Now, you were here last night during the trouble.

I'm here always. I live here.

And you went out when the shots were fired?

I went out after the shots... when I heard... no more.

He was standing over the dead man.

Did you hear another shot just now?

Gunshots?

That was a backfire from one of the machine.

I saw smoke from the garage.

Like last night?

No smoke last night.

Mr. Yee, do you know what gunpowder smells like?

Like firecracker.

Yes, did you smell gunpowder last night?

Yes, like firecracker.

But no smoke?

No smoke.

Thank you, Mr. Yee.

Thank you very much.

Smell of gunpowder, there were shots fired.

We're sure of at least one, aren't we, Ed?

You mean Frank's?

I mean Frank's.

All right, Frank.

Show us exactly where you were standing before Coulter showed up.

Show us exactly where you were standing before Coulter showed up.

Right here.

Now locate Coulter.

Where he was when you first became aware of him.

Well, I heard him first.

Then he wasn't sneaking up on you.

I guess not.

Where Frank was standing, maybe Coulter didn't know who he was right away.

But if Coulter set up a trap for him...

Coulter had set up a trap he wouldn't have missed.

No, I don't think Coulter expected to see Frank at all.

I think he was simply coming home to his apartment.

Great.

That makes it look even more as if Frank was hanging around and waiting for him.

Frank, get me the coroner's report again.

It wasn't just hanging around.

Look, I got a call from Logan telling me to meet him there.

Yeah.

A phone call of which there's no record,

except the fact that Ed said that you received one,

which could have been done by anybody.

You know something, you're going to make a great attorney.

I hope I'm around to see it.

Your bullet struck Coulter in the side of the head, the left side.

Mark, point out where Coulter would have been standing when he saw Frank.

Now, Frank, were you still there when you fired?

Well, I hit the pavement and rolled.

So, say, there.

Well, if he was struck on the left side of the head,

he was turning to his right while you were taking evasive action.

In other words, he was turning away from you.

To see where the shots came from.

Right.

Now, someone could have stepped out of the doorway behind him,

moved to the right, fired two...

Blanks. So no bullet holes.

Whoever it was knew you would return the fire.

Well, then, why didn't I see anyone?

While rolling on the sidewalk,

they would have had enough time to get back into the doorway of...

Maxon's garage.

Let's see. Weather Bureau.

From 10 p.m. to midnight last night, light westerly winds,

5 to 10 knots, overcast, ceiling 500 feet, no smog.

If there'd been a backfire in that garage,

the smoke and fumes would have drifted into the alley.

And Mr. Yee would have smelled more than firecrackers.

Jerry Maxon. Let's have a look at him.

No police record and no criminal connections that I could find.

Divorce action six months ago. He contested but lost.

Wife claimed non-support.

Madeline's money.

You want me to talk to Mrs. Maxon?

No, not directly. She might well call her ex-husband

and give him a blast for getting her involved.

And then Maxon takes off, just like Nick Walston.

Fran, find out where Mrs. Maxon works now.

All right, Frank.

I guess that's about all we need from you now.

Is there anything I can do?

It's awfully hard sitting around while everybody else is working.

I don't know what to tell you, Frank,

except you just sat when I told you last time.

You wouldn't have to just sit now.

Okay.

See you later.

It's a good theory.

Now, if we can only come up with some tangible proof.

Like who fired the blacks?

Still won't get Frank completely off the hook.

Internal affairs call.

Oh?

They want Frank for psychological testing tomorrow morning.

What for?

Trying to determine whether or not

he's capable of carrying deep enough hate

to have welcomed the chance to kill Coulter.

He has to take it.

Can you think of any reason why he shouldn't?

Mm-hmm.

I figured you'd still be up.

I also figured you probably hadn't eaten very much

since you found out about the test tomorrow.

Salami on rice, same place we used to get them,

only now they're a nickel more.

Well, everything's gone up,

including my career in the force.

Up in a large pump of smoke.

Come on, now. It's only a test.

And what do they expect a cop to do

when somebody's shooting at him?

Easy, Frank.

Easy, Frank. No sweat.

The whole department's after him on a scalp,

but don't let it bug you.

If I didn't know you better,

I'd think you were feeling sorry for yourself.

Look, why don't you just shut up?

Okay.

If I were you, I'd think I'd try to get a good night's sleep tonight.

It's not gonna help anything to go in there tomorrow

with a chip on your shoulder.

You know, I just...

I just might not show up tomorrow.

Oh, really?

Well, I'm just thinking I've had it up to about here.

I mean, I'm thinking they can just take their test

and shove it down their throats.

Now, maybe that might not be such a bad idea.

The chief asked me if I could think of any reason

why you shouldn't take that test.

I couldn't think of any, but maybe I was wrong.

Maybe you just don't have what it takes to be a cop.

Oh, look, don't give me that corny routine.

Corny? Oh, yeah, corny.

Also happens to be true.

There is only one valid reason for not taking that test tomorrow,

and you're the only guy who can answer that.

Ed, suppose...

Suppose I told you I can't answer that.

What would you say to that?

I'd say you were making a lot more sense than you were a minute ago.

Listen, if there's anything you haven't told us about last night...

Is that what Ironside sent you down here to find out?

He didn't send me. It was my idea.

Good night.

I'm sorry, Ed.

Don't forget to set your alarm.

If Walston's sisters swear she hadn't seen her brother

for two weeks before his disappearance,

yet she claims they were on good terms.

You'd think at least they would have been in touch by phone.

What with his having been in the papers as a witness.

Having trouble with your watch?

Well...

This psychological business takes a long time.

You can say that again.

I'm having trouble with my watch.

Hi, Chief.

Ed.

How'd it go?

Oh, since 8 o'clock this morning.

Questions ranging from,

did I hit my friends when I was a kid,

to who else would I like to kill?

Yeah, right.

You, uh, want some coffee?

A drink would be better.

I'm a double, Mark.

When do you get the results?

In the departmental hearing.

Hey, can a suspended officer look over your homework?

Help yourself.

There's a special detail trying to track down Nick Walston.

Any friends, relatives where he might go for help.

We were just looking over their reports.

I kind of hope somebody's working on my case.

Colter's dead.

What good will it do to find Nick Walston now?

You're self-involved right now, Frank.

That's understandable.

It's also why you're off duty.

It gets in the way of your, uh, objectivity.

Okay.

Bring me back to objectivity.

All right.

Who's our number one suspect?

Jerry Maxson.

Wrong.

He's in it up to his neck.

Maybe so, but only as an accomplice.

Okay.

Who, then?

Call in Mr. X, the guy who got Jerry to lie.

Now, who's our next suspected accomplice?

Logan.

He made the call.

When?

Right after I talked to Buster.

About Nick Walston.

Welcome back to objectivity.

You know, there's a common denominator between all three.

Logan hasn't talked, Maxson's holding firm.

But we might shake Mr. Walston.

And we might find him.

When he hears the man, he's afraid to testify against his dead.

Common denominator is Mr. X.

Somebody had to pay the bills.

So, we look for a man with motive.

Someone who needed me out of the way.

Wrong again.

Not you out of the way.

Coulter out of the way.

From what I've heard about Coulter,

you could stick a pen in a phone book and come up with a possible...

She finds him.

Chief Ironside's office.

Just a minute.

Homicide.

Ironside.

Yes, Jim.

Just a minute.

I want someone to hear that.

All right. Go ahead, Jim.

Nick Walston's sister just changed her story.

When we first talked to her, she said she hasn't seen him.

Now she's worried about him.

Says he spent two days with her.

Got a phone call and was picked up by somebody called the police.

And was picked up by somebody a couple hours later.

And she hasn't heard from him since.

Did she give you a description of the car?

Affirmative. There's an APB out on it.

Thanks, Jim. Keep in touch.

Will do.

Maybe there really is a Santa Claus.

There's also a well-trained and efficient police department.

One of whom was to locate Mrs. Jerry Maxson.

3175 Green Street, apartment D.

She works as a cocktail waitress at the Liar Dice Bar on Montgomery Street.

Hi, Frank.

Find out who owns it.

Yes, sir.

How'd it go?

I've spent better days.

Oh, I don't know.

How often is it that a man gets to talk about himself for six to eight hours?

When he's out with a girl.

Here she is, Chief. Abandoned in a ravine up around Tamil Paisaway.

Were they careful, that prints?

Sheriff's office said they were.

Who knows who fooled with it till it was reported.

Better rope it off for now. Fingerprints on its way over.

What else?

Sent a rush through on the registration.

Both car and plates were reported stolen. Not much help.

What about the man we're looking for?

Any report on him?

Sheriff's office is making inquiries.

If he abandoned the car and made it on foot, they shouldn't have much trouble.

Of course, he got himself another vehicle.

Nobody will remember picking him up.

Unless he had a date to be picked up.

Maybe we'll even find Jerry Maxson's or Buster's prints all over it.

That could be.

You're not very enthusiastic.

Meg Walston ran away long before Jerry or Buster were involved.

Or before we knew they were involved.

There's a very old saying, Ed.

Don't count your chickens before you get their fingerprints.

What's the matter? What's wrong?

Nick Walston was found about 600 yards from where they found the car.

He's been dead for two weeks.

Not too spicy, please.

All right.

Two Bloody Marys, not too spicy.

Fran, you're doing great.

Listen, when you get a break, come on over to table five.

Somebody just came in. I want you to meet them.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Oh, Fran, this is Rod Ballard.

He's the lawyer that helped me get my divorce from Jerry.

Well, nice to know you, Fran.

Iris has been telling me about you.

Yeah, I told them all about how you're having problems with your husband running around and all.

You don't mind, do you?

No.

Don't worry about me. I'll be right back.

I didn't know that you were married, Officer Belding.

No, I don't suppose you did.

Well, now, shall we play out this little game and have you come down and talk to me about divorce proceedings?

There's really no point to it now, is there?

No, there isn't.

Oh, that was quick. Is everything okay?

Iris, sit down a minute.

Either they closed early tonight or you've had a very short career as an undercover officer.

My cover exploded in my face. I was recognized.

By Mrs. Maxon?

No, by Colter's attorney.

Well, she'll probably dummy up.

My cover exploded, not my assignment.

I found out everything we wanted to know.

In less than two hours?

Girl talk.

Why should I be interested in knowing that there's a new waitress at the Lyre Dice Club?

Because she's Fran Belding.

Officer Fran Belding, Ironside's office.

Well, maybe police work doesn't pay very well.

Or maybe the fact that she's working with Iris Maxon is worth more than a couple of bucks in tired feet.

You remember Iris. Big heart and a bigger mouth.

Yes, Iris has already told her about Jerry and their troubles.

Iris has told her that Jerry wants her to come back to him.

Says he's in the chips now.

Am I supposed to be concerned about this?

Jerry Maxon's statement regarding those backfires is crucial in nailing Frank Carlson.

And since that night, Jerry seems to have, well, lots of money.

If I can make the connection, so can the police.

Are you asking me to admit something?

I'm telling you to get a new lawyer.

Maxon?

What the hell are we going to do for you, John?

Problem with the car.

Keating sent us, Jerry.

He said you were a good mechanic, but you talk too much.

Now you get off my back, do you hear?

Stop pestering me.

I told that other guy that I'd call him if there was anything I wanted to say.

Well, I don't.

Now anything that Nick wants to do.

Nick's dead.

I don't believe you.

He's in the morgue.

Really?

Dead?

Murdered.

I'll tell you something, Mr. Logan.

I don't believe you knew anything about it.

I think you were paid to keep your mouth shut.

Did you really believe that's what Nick wanted?

Well, somebody's made a patsy out of you.

Somebody's killed your friend.

Poor Nick.

Poor you.

If the killer gets nervous about how much you know.

I told you it was last night.

Some equipment fell on me.

Your next door neighbor found you on the floor and didn't say anything about equipment.

Well, maybe he didn't see me.

Mark, what kind of equipment would do damage like that?

Oh, brass knuckles, a piece of lead pipe, and a course in karate.

No wonder the neighbor didn't see it.

Now, whoever beat you told you to keep your mouth shut, didn't they?

Told Iris, too.

Iris and I became very good friends, Mr. Maxson.

She told me all about your gambling, your loans, your debts.

So?

She also told me how, after Colter's death, you were around asking her to come back.

You told her you'd come into some money and all your debts had been paid off.

Did they just forgive your loan for saying the car backfired or did you get a bonus on top of that?

Well, prove it.

Make a federal case out of it.

Not a federal case.

People of the state of California versus Jerry Maxson.

Conspiracy to commit murder.

Now, if you think the beating they gave you was the end of it, you're wrong.

Now, there's that story to the papers.

What story?

The story that I'm working out an amnesty deal for you in exchange for your testimony.

That's a lie.

Only you and I know that, Mr. Maxson.

Be seeing you.

I say that he was one very chick up guy.

He has good reason to be.

Maxson?

Yeah, well, what do you want?

You're in big trouble.

Just come with us.

Where?

Somebody wants to see you.

Hey, this isn't the way to Keating's.

Where are you taking me?

Hey, look, I didn't say anything to anybody.

I done it up.

We don't want to know about it, Maxson.

We just do our job.

But you're making a mistake.

Keating doesn't know it was the car.

But he's heard about a deal with Ironside.

There is no deal with Ironside.

Look, I'll pay him.

Take me to him.

I'll pay you whatever you want.

Let me talk to him for five minutes.

Just five little minutes.

And if I'm lying, those five minutes won't make any difference.

Give me a break, will you?

What are you going to tell him in five minutes that'll make any difference?

Keating thinks that I told Ironside he paid me to lie about the backfires coming into my place.

I wouldn't do that.

I can prove it.

I wouldn't do that to him.

Got a couple of thousand put away handy?

Yeah.

You asked me to meet you here to listen to that?

I don't know what this man's talking about.

All right, I'll say it again.

You paid me to phone Sergeant Carlson to meet him in that alley.

Only I wasn't supposed to go.

It's his word against mine.

That's true.

I mean, even if the jury decides he's right.

You can't connect me with this killing.

Jerry Maxson can.

As soon as Officer Belding went to work at the bar, as soon as your attorney recognized her, Maxson was beaten up.

I don't know a Jerry Maxson.

I don't think you can prove that I do.

If you could, I'd be down at headquarters right now, not here.

Not necessarily.

Yes?

Mr. Keating, I, um...

I thought you didn't know him.

I don't.

I don't know those two either.

Let me introduce Detectives Sergeants Tracy and Peterson.

You mean you didn't send them?

Keep your mouth shut.

Not if he's wise, he won't.

He's already talked plenty, Chief.

I didn't know he was gonna kill anybody.

You know the problem with this business?

It's the stupid people that you have to deal with.

One could say it wasn't too bad of you to have your men give Jerry that beating.

It frightened him enough to make him believe my men.

Just goes to show that nobody's perfect.

Even you.

Well, good morning, everybody.

Coffee?

No, thanks.

I already had some with Iris Maxson.

I felt I owed her an explanation.

Chief, is her husband going to be in a lot of trouble for lying to the police?

Not too big...

under the circumstances.

That's great.

I have a feeling they're gonna get back together again.

She thinks he's learned his lesson.

You do like happy endings, don't you?

I am an incurable romantic.

Look who I met in the elevator.

I couldn't wait any longer, Chief.

He told me the result of the test was back.

Yeah, I was gonna call you as soon as I finished reading it.

You passed.

Well...

maybe I can get a night's sleep now.

You weren't really worried, were you?

A man can do a lot of soul-searching in the middle of the night.

Anyway, one thing's for sure.

Never have to take another one of those things.

Two lessons learned.

Out of curiosity, what does it say?

Or is that privileged information?

It says, uh, repressed guilt feelings strong enough to indicate remorse,

not satisfaction over Coulter's death.

No indication of either professional instability

or possibility of emotional involvement,

ruling officer capable of premeditated murder.

I think what they're trying to say is that you really didn't have it in you.

They further recommend a week off

due to the extreme high tension and emotional upset of subject officer.

Me? Nervous?

That's a week off, Frank.

You wouldn't want to dispute the opinion of four top psychiatrists, would you?

No, sir.

But I would like to invite you all to have a steak with me.

Aha! Sold.

Chief?

Yes.

I think that would be a perfect time for me to impress upon each one of you

that when I ask you to withdraw from a case,

I'm telling you to withdraw from a case.

Nothing more, nothing less.

In other words, five on the grill.

Medium rare, four burned to a crisp.

.