Original subtitles

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

It's too close for comfort. I'm living right next door.

It's like the fourth time

we've had fires in this block, but never this close.

- This is ridiculous. - (MAN LAUGHING)

PAUL: Hmm, you know, when I woke up,

- I thought I was choking to death. - OFFICER 1: Hmm.

- Excuse me. - (COUGHS) You been inside yet?

Just got here.

- Got a body in the basement. Burnt. - BOBBY: You know who lives here?

OFFICER 1: Supposed to be vacant.

At least, that's what the guy next door says.

That's him there.

- Name's, um, Paul Dunbar. - ANDY: This guy?

- Yeah. - Mr. Dunbar,

can we talk to you a second here?

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - What went on here?

I woke up smelling smoke, so I came outside.

It was coming out of the basement over here.

They keep a window open a few inches

- and smoke was coming out. - You know the owner?

Yeah. She's been living in Queens with her son about a year or so.

Nobody lives here now.

If there's a body in there, I don't know whose it can be.

Listen, did you, uh, notice any activity, see anybody go in or out?

- Not a thing. - (ANDY SIGHS)

Just Mrs. Krause's son comes over every couple of months.

- Can you give us his address? - Yeah. I'll go get it.

ANDY: All right. We're gonna go inside. Get the address off this guy,

- all right? - OFFICER 1: Okay.

- (LATEX GLOVES CRINKLING) - (FOOTSTEPS)

ANDY: Oh, man. It stinks of gasoline.

VINCE: Gentlemen, gentlemen.

- How's it going, Vince? - VINCE: Holding my own.

(GRUNTS) This woman got torched. (CLEARS THROAT)

(BOBBY CLEARS THROAT)

(SNIFFLES, CLEARS THROAT)

- (SIREN BLARING) - (BOBBY CLEARS THROAT)

(EMBERS CRACKLING)

- Is that duct tape? - Yeah. The eyes and the mouth.

- Not tied up though. - Not now anyway.

There's no jewelry. No, we gotta get the Crime Scene unit

- to bag her hands. - (WATER DRIPPING)

(ANDY SNIFFLES)

I don't think her back is burned.

- (EMBERS CRACKLING) - BOBBY: Look at this.

- ANDY: What? - BOBBY: Tattoo.

- ANDY: Where? - BOBBY: Right here. A blue unicorn.

Well, a unicorn means something.

- What? - Damned if I know.

Vince, it means that we stand half a chance of getting her identified.

A decent arsonist would turn his nose up

- at this one. - (BOBBY SIGHS)

ANDY: He puts the gas on, lights a fire and runs,

the fire sputters out on the concrete floor.

(BOBBY SIGHS)

You get amateurs in every occupation, I guess.

- (EMBERS CRACKLING) - (WATER DRIPPING)

(SNIFFLES)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(THEME MUSIC FADES)

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

ARTHUR: Hey, Greg?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Yeah, uh, Narcotics is running a wiretap.

Picked up there's a contract on Floyd Gates. Good News Gates?

- Oh, the numbers guy. - ARTHUR: Yeah.

Uh. Apparently there's a drug dealer named Woodrow, has a hit out on him.

- Narcotics know what it's about? - Not a clue.

But you know the drill. Proceeds of a tap. Gotta warn Gates, offer him protection.

- Yeah. They got a detail going on him? - Well, double shift in it, if you want.

Sure, I'll... I'll do a double shift. But the cot in the upstairs dorm

- is not exactly the Waldorf. - No improvements on that front, huh?

Eh.

I go back for a few days

and tolerable intervals get shorter and shorter.

Yeah. Sorry to hear about that.

Okay, here's where Gates lives.

Yeah, I'll get up there right away.

- Thanks for the overtime, Lieu. - Yeah.

All right. Thanks very much. Thanks.

- (SIGHS) So, where are you on your DOA? - I just talked to the woman

who owns the house. Place got burglarized a few months ago.

Yeah, well, that could explain no forced entry.

Maybe the burglar found a key when he was in there before.

Yeah, and I also reached out to the, uh, to the owner's son.

He's on his way to work now, but he'll call back.

(CLEARS THROAT) Excuse me.

Missing Persons put me with McNeil over at the 19th.

He's working a 20-year-old white girl. She's been missing for three days.

(SIGHS) I called over there, and just missed the father.

He's on the way over to the apartment.

He's got some handbills printed up with her picture.

He's canvassing the neighborhood.

- Got an address on the daughter? - Yeah, we can catch him over there.

Gentlemen, I spoke to my wife.

"A unicorn's a mythological creature,

"with the body parts of a bunch of different animals,

"a lion's tail, so forth. And a big horn, in the middle of its head."

- Good, Vince. Thanks. - VINCE: Yeah. That's all right, Bobby.

Take care. (GRUNTS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SNIFFLES) So, should we go see this guy or follow up that mythological angle?

(PAPER CRINKLING)

(RETRO THRILLER MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

- Hey. Greg Medavoy, 15th Squad. - Yeah. Detective Elkins, 25 Squad.

Taking a break. They've been playing cards all night.

That's Detective Grimes. He started the detail with me.

He's gonna do a double. Okay?

- GREG: Yeah, okay. - Here's Detective Greg Medavoy.

He's gonna replace me. Medavoy, this is Mr. Floyd Gates.

- Morning. - Hey.

Uh. Do you have any, uh, security devices that I should

- familiarize myself with? - (CUTLERY CLINKING)

Just a burglar alarm. It's off. You know, if you want to,

you can just call me Good News.

- Okay, Good News. - (FLOYD LAUGHS)

- Shouldn't the alarm be on? - We don't need no burglar alarm.

- We got you. (CHUCKLING) - (GREG CHUCKLING)

- (KNOCKING) - Uh-oh.

- (KNOCKING) - GREG: Who is it?

- LOUIS: Louis! - DELMAR: And Delmar!

(LAUGHS) Let them in.

Whoa! You're a white dude. (LAUGHS) All right.

- FLOYD: My brother, my brother! - You still in one piece!

- Hey, alive and kickin'. (LAUGHS) - LOUIS: All right.

This is Greg. He's protection from the police department.

- How you doing, man? - GREG: Hi.

- Hey, I'm taking off, all right? - Hey.

- It's all yours, Medavoy. - GREG: Okay.

FLOYD: Thanks, Will. Come back and see me.

- Yeah. - Take care of yourself.

Let's get this game going before you get your big ass shot full of holes.

- (LAUGHING) - LOUIS: Aye, man! Wake up! (CLAPS)

Come on! Wake up, wake up! Get up! Get up!

FLOYD: Give him somethin' to drink, Delmar.

DELMAR: Hey, Verdis, you want somethin', bro?

- Yeah. Give me a shot of that. - DELMAR: All right.

Come on, Greg. Get in the game. Get in the game.

Uh. I think I better stick to business, Mr. Gates.

What do you think of that sucker putting a contract out on Good News?

- Yeah. Wasn't that a hell of a thing? - (MUNCHING)

- You know what it was about? - Eh, I don't know what it's about.

Good News, you know what it's about?

That dope-dealing fool, Woodrow.

- DELMAR: Huh. - FLOYD: He got something against me.

But the police gonna protect my ass. Right, Greg?

So, that borough gave you his name, huh?

Well, they had to tell me who to look out for.

Come on, Greg. Sit down and play a hand.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

- (SHUFFLING CARDS) - Well...

- FLOYD: Deal him in. - (CHUCKLES)

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

GEORGE: Would you take one of these for me? Thank you.

Ma'am, would you take one of these? Thank you very much.

- Uh, do you know this girl? - FEMALE VOICE: No.

Would you take that with you? Here, here, here. Take it.

- BOBBY: Mr. Garabedian? - Yeah?

- ANDY: Detective Sipowicz, 15th Squad. - (MUSIC FADES)

This is Detective Simone.

GEORGE: What squad is that? I've been talking

with a Detective McNeil.

Yeah. He gave us your name, sir. Uh. We wanted to ask you a few questions.

My daughter's missing.

Does your daughter have any distinguishing marks on her?

Well, it says a scar on the back of her right calf.

- A dog bit her when she was eight. - How about a tattoo, Mr. Garabedian?

- That kind of thing. - No. No tattoo.

Why? Did you find a girl with a tattoo?

- Yeah. Uh-huh. - What was her condition?

We found a body in a fire. She was in her early twenties.

- She had a small tattoo... - JOHNNY: ...take one of these?

...of a unicorn on the back of her right shoulder.

Uh. No. That wouldn't be Angie.

- Who's that kid? - (WOMAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

- JOHNNY: Thank you. - GEORGE: Uh, he's helping me.

Him and his wife were staying with my daughter the last week.

- They're students? Working people? - Uh. His wife, Lisa, has a job.

Johnny, he stays home with the baby. Lisa grew up with Angie, uh,

they were getting some repairs done on their apartment and, uh,

Angie let them stay with her.

- Excuse me. - (MAN TALKING ON MEGAPHONE)

- ANDY: Can I see one of those? - Yeah. Here's one in color.

Mr. Garabedian, uh, you'd know if your daughter had a tattoo, right?

Absolutely. Yes.

- BOBBY: Your name Johnny? - JOHNNY: Yes. Johnny Arcotti.

My name's Simone. So, you're helping out

- Mr. Garabedian here, huh? - JOHNNY: Yeah.

Angie's been missing for three days now, you know?

We're getting kinda worried about her. My wife and her, they grew up together.

I'm wondering, do you know if Angie had any, uh,

sort of markings on her or?

Her dad said she didn't, but uh,

you know, sometimes a father might not know.

What, like a tattoo or something like that?

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, she had a tattoo. It was of a... a unicorn.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

She did, huh? Andy.

JOHNNY: Yeah. You see Legend? You know, the movie with Tom Cruise?

- No. W... where's this tattoo? - It was on her shoulder.

Right. W... we need to talk to Mr. Garabedian some more.

But I wanna talk to you some more too, huh?

It's his daughter. He's just pegged the tattoo.

Son of a bitch.

Thank you very much.

(BOBBY SIGHS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTING)

ANDY: Mr. Garabedian, uh,

there's a chance your daughter's involved in this case we're working on.

What makes you say that?

Sir, is there any way that we can possibly access

- your daughter's dental records? - Why would you need them?

Just to see if there's discrepancies with regards to the case

that we're working on now. You know, just to stay on the safe side.

GEORGE: I... I don't understand.

What's the point if she didn't have that tattoo?

Well, uh, Johnny here seems to think that it's possible that she did.

No. No. I was close with my daughter.

No, Mr. Garabedian. She did have a tattoo.

It was of a unicorn. It was on her shoulder.

Oh, my God.

All right, well. We'll take it one step at a time. We'll look for dental records.

- Uh, our lawyer's Gerald Fleishmann. - Sir, her dentist?

Uh. Right, uh, dentist. Columbus Avenue. He would have her records.

- There still could be some discrepancy. - Absolutely. Absolutely.

Just, let's take it one step at a time.

Right.

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

- (MUSIC FADES) - Lieu?

Yeah?

That girl missing in the 19th? That's gonna be our DOA.

- Can we make an I.D.? - Her father just got us

her dental records. Andy's running them over to the morgue.

- Uh. The father got any ideas? - Well, this guy wasn't ready

for that kind of conversation. He had been up for two days.

Just about hysterical, fighting off that it could be her, y'know?

- So, he's, uh, waiting to hear at home. - ARTHUR: Who's that?

Friend of family. Him and his wife were staying at the DOA's apartment.

Why's that?

Uh. They were getting their place fixed up.

Okay.

- James? - JAMES: Yeah.

Do me a favor? Can you run this guy, Johnny, through BCI for me?

- Okay, no problem. - Thanks.

(BOBBY GRUNTS)

Oh, I'm not gonna swear by that, John.

That's all right. Just as long as it's got caffeine in it, y'know?

Well, couple hours into the shift, y'know, it starts getting a little ripe.

Yeah. (SIGHS) I'm just trying to think. I mean, who...

- who could've done this to her, y'know? - You figure this girl we found,

- uh, could be Angie, huh? - Well, yeah,

I mean definitely by what you said, the, uh, the tattoo.

Yeah. I think you're probably right.

(SNIFFLES)

You know, there was this guy... this Russian guy,

Angie went to Virginia with him a couple weeks ago.

I mean, he was giving her pretty hard times. I remembered Angie,

A... Angie called up Lisa and said the guy was... y'know, pushing on her.

- She say what it was about? - Yeah, I think sex.

'Cause she wasn't sleeping with him on the trip.

Well, do you know if he, uh, he put hands on her at all?

No, I don't... I mean, I don't know.

I mean, I do know that they did come back a day early, though.

- Huh. - And then, like a week ago, this guy...

Dimitri! He came over. And he... he was really drunk,

and Angie started to freak out. Because he took his shirt off

and the guy, he went out and he got...

got her name and a unicorn tattooed right on his arm.

So, what happened when Angie freaked out?

Yeah well, y'know, we drank a few beers, and y'know, I mean she...

She did finally tell him to leave.

- Anyone doing drugs? - Nah.

Come on, John. I'm working a homicide here.

No one's gonna get hassled for their party habits, y'know?

I'm just looking to get a clear picture of this, uh... Dimitri, right?

Yeah, no, I... I understand. I'm just...

Okay, I wouldn't be surprised if the guy smoked some pot, but he just

didn't do it in front of me.

So, uh, so you're thinking then that this guy, he could've harmed Angie, huh?

Oh, yeah. No, definitely. I mean, this guy?

I mean, he was definitely a strange guy.

- You know where we could find this guy? - Well, you could check her address book.

Dimitri.

- Dimitri, uh... - (CLICKS PEN)

Any idea of the last name?

Like Golf. Golf. Something like that.

I think it's G-O-L-O...

F-F.

- Two F's. Thanks. - (PEN CLICKS)

Yeah, Johnny, uh, I was holding off talking to Mr. Garabedian

til we were sure about Angie. But I really appreciate your help, man.

Yeah. I mean, so you guys, y'know, you find anything out

- that could help you at the scene? - I'm not supposed to say, John.

Yeah.

Yeah, but y'know, between me and you, you've been real helpful here at...

There were some fingerprints that we lifted from the crime scene.

- That's good, right? - Yeah.

- All right. - But that's in confidence.

- Yeah. No, I understand. - (DOOR OPENS)

JAMES: Okay. Thanks for the information.

You ever been in trouble yourself?

- No. - Oh. I wouldn't think so.

And, uh, when she gets a chance, we can talk to your wife? Is it Lisa?

Yeah, Lisa. She's working now.

Uh, Johnny, who's taking care of your baby?

Uh. She took it to work. I was handing out the leaflets, y'know?

- Uh-huh. All right. Take care. - All right.

Our Johnny took collars for a grand larceny,

auto and soliciting for a minor. Pimped a 15-year-old girl.

- How's it going? Those records match? - It was her. These assholes.

She had carbon in her lungs. I gotta call the girl's father.

She was alive when they set her on fire.

- Mm-hmm. - (PICKS UP RECEIVER)

- Oh, we gotta look at a Dimitri Goloff. - (DIALING)

(SIGHS)

Uh. Mr. Garabedian? This is Detective Sipowicz.

DELMAR: Deal a brother a hand, man.

Come on, Gregory. Give us some cards here.

- (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) - LOUIS: Do not fool around.

- We are card players here. - VERDIS: Right.

- Hey, Greg. - DELMAR: Let's see.

How long you figure the department will be willing to protect me like this?

Ah, as long as it takes, I guess.

This could be a very long card game.

Pretty soon we gonna need some women up in here.

(CHEERING)

- Get one for Greg too. - LOUIS: Right!

- DELMAR: Yeah! - FLOYD: What kind you like, Greg?

You like 'em with a little meat on the bones? A little thunder in the thighs?

- (CHEERING) - How about...

- Wandell! - (LAUGHING, CHEERING)

(LAUGHING)

How about it, Greg? Want me to give her a call?

Nah, nah, let's... let's just leave that alone.

- You don't want no woman, man? - Hey, guys, I'm on duty.

- (LAUGHING) - Yeah. What's wrong with you, Louis?

The man's on duty. He's protecting my ass. He ain't got time for no women.

- (LOUIS LAUGHS) - Ain't that right, Greg?

- LOUIS: Whoo! - Yeah.

Or do you wanna get you a little?

- (LAUGHING) - I'm working!

- Well, have a drink with us. - Nah, I can't drink either.

- But I am having a good time. - (CHEERING)

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

- (MUSIC FADES) - Have a seat right there, Dimitri.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

- BOBBY: Lieu? - Yeah?

BOBBY: That's the Russian.

He was warming a bar stool across the street from his building.

DOA's father's on his way in. And that kid you told we had prints?

Yeah, I figured if he was wrong,

it would give him something to think about.

Yeah, his wife's coming in at 5:30.

We got a subpoena to dump the girl's phone?

Yeah. Russell's at Telephone Security.

- Okay, cool. Thanks, Lieu. - Okay.

- (DOOR OPENS) - (THUNDER RUMBLING)

You wanna sit down?

- How many drinks you had today, Dimitri? - Two vodkas.

ANDY: So, you're more or less sober, right?

DIMITRI: Yeah.

All right, I want you to remember when you saw Angie Garabedian last.

What about Angie?

Did you hear what he said? When did you see her last?

What I am here for about Angie? She put a complaint?

That's not how it goes, Dimitri. We ask a question, you ask a question.

When did you see this girl?

Maybe three or four nights ago. I see her at this club, Snakes.

- Did you talk to her? - Just hello, she don't wanna talk to me.

- Who was she with? - DIMITRI: A girlfriend.

Where did you go after you left the club?

Home. Went to bed.

We heard about this little trip that you took to Virginia with Angie.

- You two sleeping together? - What do you want?

Who is making this complaint?

- See? That's you asking us again. - Were you sleeping with Angie?

(EXHALES) Couple times.

We heard that she wouldn't sleep with you.

Who is complaining on me?

- Take off your shirt. - What?

Take it off. Come on. The shirt.

(SLAMS JACKET)

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.

'Cause see, I think that you were very serious about her.

- I got drunk. - BOBBY: Mm-hmm.

Angie's in the morgue, Dimitri. We found her body this morning.

- She was murdered. - Are you telling the truth?

If you killed her, you'll feel better, you let it go.

- (LOUD THUD) - (DIMITRI WHIMPERS)

(DIMITRI SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

What?

No, I...

I couldn't hurt Angie.

Well, maybe she did something to hurt your feelings.

And then something happened that you didn't mean for it to happen.

- No! - BOBBY: You didn't get mad

because you couldn't have her?

No. I wasn't good enough to have her.

I don't have no class.

(DOOR OPENS)

- Bobby, you got a second? - Yeah.

- BOBBY: What's up? - JAMES: An Alex Sandoval

just got shot on Fourth.

He could be connected with this John Arcotti.

On, uh, Johnny's pop, for that GLA. Sandoval took the collar with him.

Put your shirt back on.

(INTENSE RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

BOBBY: Excuse me.

- You got any witnesses? - OFFICER 2: Over there.

- She see it? - (MUSIC FADES)

OFFICER 2: She was with him.

OFFICER 3: ...keep this area clear for emergency vehicles.

- JAMES: Shot from behind. - BOBBY: Yep.

So, either this is a big coincidence,

- or Johnny and Alex are back in business. - (WOMAN CRYING)

John gets worried about those fingerprints we didn't find...

- ANDY: He goes out and whacks Alex. - BOBBY: Let's go talk to her.

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

- ANDY: Baby get hurt? - Baby's okay.

That's the father's blood on the kid.

What's your name?

- It's, uh, Donna Mendoza. - Did you see who shot him, Donna?

No. No. Alex was holding the baby. Then he fell down on the baby,

- and I had to get him off the baby. - You didn't get any

- kind of look at this guy? - I don't... I don't know.

Look, I'm sorry, Donna.

- I do have to ask you some questions. - (BABY COUGHS).

- Is the baby all right? - Yeah, yeah.

- Do you know a John Arcotti? - No.

Maybe one of Alex's friends?

- (BABY WHIMPERS) - No, he don't bring his friends around.

Donna, if this wasn't an accident,

can you think of any reason why somebody would want to do this?

He came right up behind us and he shot Alex in the head.

I had to get him off the baby. (WHIMPERS)

All right, don't look over there. Just go inside.

- (BABY WHIMPERS) - Baby's cold.

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (DISTANT SIREN WAILING)

(TAPPING PENCIL)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- So, what is it? Romance? - Maybe he was bangin' her.

Plus these others. Look at this phone list.

(SIGHS) Now, Angie gets a conscience pang, or they beef, her and Johnny,

and she's gonna blow the whistle to Johnny's wife.

Except Johnny decides to kill her instead.

Alex carries the kerosene for old time's sake.

Or maybe 20 bucks.

And Johnny decides to whack Alex 'cause he could be a witness.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

- JOHNNY: How's it going? - Hey, John.

Yeah, Lisa brought the baby to me before she came to talk to you,

- so, I figured I... I'd come in with her. - Yeah, sure.

- Andy, you wanna talk to Mrs. Arcotti? - ANDY: Yeah.

- Come on. We can talk down here. - All right.

John, uh, why don't you stay with me? I'll, uh, fill you in on what's going on.

That's okay. Go ahead, Hon.

Want something to drink?

- Uh, yeah. - (OLIVER WHIMPERS)

- Yeah. You got Coke? - ANDY: Both kinds.

- What's the baby's name? - It's Oliver.

It's named after Lisa's, uh, grandfather.

- Yeah? - (BABY BASKET THUDS)

- So, how's it going with the case? - Hey, just pluggin' away, man.

Pluggin' away, huh? No, uh... no big developments?

You know, now that you're in, John,

there is one discrepancy that I wanted to ask you on.

where we learned you do have a record.

(OLIVER CRIES)

Okay, yeah, I mean, I thought about that afterwards.

But see, I wasn't sure what you meant by that.

Well, you were collared for a GLA, and you pimped a child prostitute.

I misunderstood, when the area of the crime

- that you were lookin' at. - Mm-hmm.

- Which would be an abduction-murder. - Yeah.

I mean, okay, I mean, jackpot on the car. That was a registration mix-up.

And the girl, I mean, there was no way I was pimpin' her.

I mean, to look at her, you'd think she was 20.

- I mean, she had tits out to here. - (BOBBY SCOFFS)

- That must've been a shock for you. - Yeah. I thought she was my girlfriend.

Turns out she's balling anything with a pair of pants

and I'm the last to find out.

And puts a vice cop in court, I mean, he stands up and says,

that I was soliciting him. I'd never seen him in my life!

Wow.

- (OLIVER WHIMPERS) - (BOBBY SIGHS)

- What about Dimitri? - Oh, we talked to him, John.

- I don't think that's going anywhere. - No, huh?

I'd forget about Dimitri. It wasn't him.

There are three calls here

from your phone to Johnny's beeper that night.

Now, you're telling me that Johnny's sitting there next to you,

so, you dialed him on his beeper?

Look, Johnny was home all night. That's gotta be a mistake.

Huh. So, how about these mistakes, Lisa? Here.

You got dozens of calls to a Carla Leon and a Helen Slauson,

all from Angie's apartment. All while you and Angie were working.

Now, do you know these women, huh?

Were these mutual friends with you and Johnny?

C... Carla's someone Johnny had a thing with,

after we first got together, but he broke it off.

Oh. So he was just calling to remind her it was over.

- How about Helen Slauson? Who's she? - I don't know who that is.

The truth is, Johnny's running from one bed to another...

while you're out working, supporting him, Lisa.

He was home all that night!

- You know he's got a record? - No!

- Johnny was a pimp and a car thief. - (WHIMPERS)

As a matter of fact, one of the guys

he used to steal cars with, got murdered today.

You know an Alex Sandoval?

(CLICKS TONGUE) Look, I don't know any Alex.

And Johnny didn't go out that night.

All right, so, it was a coincidence? You and Johnny being houseguests

just when Angie got kidnapped and murdered, huh?

I gotta get back to my baby.

- (TRAIN TRACKS SQUEALING) - (KNOCKING)

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - GREG: Who is it?

- BOB: It's Bob. - Bob.

Let him in.

- LOUIS: Boxing. - ALL: Boxing?

Man, you will lose your ass messing around with boxing.

Not on this deal. It's the fight of the century.

And ain't nobody thought of it but me.

DELMAR: Yeah, right. (LAUGHS)

- Who's the fighters? - (COINS CLINK)

- I tell you, we split fifty-fifty. - Okay. We partners.

Okay. It's Mike Tyson and O.J. Simpson.

- (LAUGHING) - DELMAR: Get outta here!

Hey what are you laughing at? We get Judge Ito to referee.

- You get Judge Ito. I'll put it on. - LOUIS: All right.

(ALL LAUGH)

How is it out there, Bob? Anybody take a potshot at you?

- No. - Everything quiet out there?

It's quiet now.

- All right. Whose bet is it? - LOUIS: It's yours, man. Come on.

- DELMAR: I wish you'd bet. - (BICKERING)

LOUIS: Shut up!

Man, hold it! I call, and I raise.

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

- (MUSIC FADES) - I am not gonna hear talk like this.

My daughter is not a tramp.

No one is saying anything like that, Mr. Garabedian.

We just want your impression of the relationship

between your daughter and John Arcotti.

Lisa was my daughter's best friend. She's not gonna sleep

- with her best friend's husband! - Mr. Garabedian,

with Johnny's background and his access to your daughter,

we gotta treat him as a suspect.

- (GRUNTS) - Your daughter never mentioned that

he made her feel uncomfortable? Maybe he'd made some advances?

No. She liked him! I was happy when they moved in.

Look, I... I... I'd worried about my daughter living alone.

And when she came to me about Lisa and John, it was a relief.

I'd hoped that after they'd left,

- she'd want a full-time roommate. - She asked for your permission

- for them to move in? - I pay the rent.

I will not... not... have these people called murderers!

I gave them permission to be there!

JAMES: Bobby.

- Thanks very much, Mr. Garabedian. - Uh...

John said, you thought, uh, a Russian might be a suspect.

Well, we're still fitting things together.

Listen, thank you very much for your cooperation.

Uh. Detective.

I know... I didn't know about the tattoo. But I know my daughter was a good girl.

She would never hurt Lisa that way.

ANDY: Okay, Mr. Garabedian.

(BOBBY COUGHS, CLEARS THROAT)

JAMES: Hey. This is uh, Carla Leon. Looks like she took a beating.

How'd you do on the other one? Helen Slauson?

- We got one other place to look. - ANDY: Yeah.

Who hit you, Carla?

- You don't know who hit you? - (TAPS NOTEPAD)

- What you call me in here for? - You know a John Arcotti?

Come on, Carla. Sit down. Come on.

(CHAIR RATTLES)

Now, this John, made a whole lot of phone calls

to you from this girl's apartment who was found tied

and burned in a vacant house.

I don't know about it.

You don't know about him making phone calls to you?

You must be in deep huh, Carla? That lie just made you an accessory

to murder. So, you must've done something worse than that.

That's right.

Now, were you at the scene? 'Cause, see, that surprises me.

Look, man, I don't know anything!

I tell you that, you say it makes me a convict? (SCOFFS)

Johnny must have you pretty afraid, doesn't he?

(SNIFFLES) You could say that.

All right. Well, let's just start with you seeing him.

- I've been dating Johnny somewhat. - BOBBY: He seeing anybody else?

- I know he got other girlfriend. - Do you know her name?

- Lisa. - Yeah. Well, Carla, that's his wife.

- You ever hear of a girl named Angie? - (CHAIR THUDS)

Yeah. The girl they moved in with until their apartment's fixed.

Sometimes Johnny starts saying, he's gonna make a lot of money.

It's involved with her. Her father got a lot of money, and so forth.

Man, I just figured he... he's gonna put Johnny in business or somethin'.

Angie's father's gonna put Johnny in business?

Was he gonna put Alex Sandoval in business?

BOBBY: 'Cause you know Alex too. Right, Carla?

He used to come up. They talked.

- Johnny and Alex'd come to your place? - Yeah. I never paid attention

to what they were saying, man. I couldn't follow it anyway.

It was like some kinda code or something, y'know?

Man, I just liked Johnny.

And today I get a call from Don Brunelli, another guy that come up.

He said Alex is dead.

Alex got shot. Like, he got his head blown off in the... in the street.

I already seen on the TV that that girl died.

And Johnny comes over half crazy. I asked what happened, and he says,

"Just shut your mouth, bitch! Shut the hell up!"

Then he hits me.

Smashes me in the face.

I locked myself in the bathroom. He kicks the door open.

I'm like, "What are you gettin' mad at me for?"

He says he'd better be able to trust me.

(MOCKINGLY) He says, he'd better be able to trust me.

What's he gotta trust you about?

Look, all I heard him say was the phone didn't work.

- The call must not have worked. - Who were they calling?

Girl's father, I guess! To get the money.

- They kidnapped that girl for ransom? - I guess so.

He said, when they made the call, it must not have gone through.

Look, man, I don't know what he did, but I'm scared of him.

- You know where this Don Brunelli lives? - No.

This guy's number's on the phone dump from Angie's apartment.

Listen, don't go home, Carla. You got someplace else to go?

Yeah. My parents live in Jersey.

- Does Johnny know where? - No.

All right. All right. Go stay with them.

Give us the number.

(SIGHS) Man, I'm so scared.

- (FOLDS NOTEPAD) - (SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)

ARTHUR: Yeah, I can understand your impatience, but, um...

Hey, fellas. Wait right there.

Uh, you'll have to bear with me a moment, Mr. Garabedian.

All hell's breaking loose today.

I've got an urgent phone call for one of my detectives,

and I've gotta go through the 61's with his partner.

If you'll give me just two minutes, I'll be right back.

Okay? Please have a seat.

This the lieutenant.

ARTHUR: Hey, Andy. This call just came in for you, um,

I think you gotta get back to him. I've gotta go through your 61's.

Sarge, can I get those 61's, please?

There's no number here.

- Um, yeah. Call the weather. - What's all this about, Lieu?

ARTHUR: Yeah, the victim's father came back with a lawyer

to look out for his daughter's interests.

Meanwhile, John Arcotti's waiting upstairs to talk to you.

- Now? - ARTHUR: Yeah, yeah. He's pretty wired.

I don't want that father taking this guy up there.

They may lawyer the kid up, and then we're dead.

ARTHUR: That's right.

- Okay. Any good on the third guy? - Brunelli?

Mm-hmm, it's in the wind. He cleaned out the apartment.

Uh, yeah, Sylvia, it's me. Listen, don't say anything.

- I might talk. I might not. - All right, but check this out, Lieu.

A, the landlord says that this guy, Brunelli, he's six foot three.

So, the average height description that we got

from the witnesses on the Sandoval homicide,

I mean, that's gotta be John Arcotti, and not this guy Brunelli.

- Yeah, hold on. I'm still here. - Yeah, and B, Brunelli bags his trash.

He's got a 17 dollar receipt in there from a Payless station.

Five bucks worth of gas, 12 dollars for the can.

You figure he set the fire?

All right, I... I'm saying good-bye now. I'll call back when I understand.

Station attendant ID's all three of the guys

off the tape from the video camera, Johnny, Sandoval and Brunelli.

- All three of them bought the gas. - You tell me, what kinda crooks are these?

They snatch up a girl for ransom and never get through on the ransom call.

ARTHUR: Yeah, but buying the gas isn't gonna give us a conviction.

And it doesn't put them at the house.

So yeah, well, let me work on this guy, John.

All right. I got the father.

- BOBBY: How are you, Mr. Garabedian? - Detective.

ARTHUR: Yeah, um, Detective Sipowicz is gonna bring you up to speed

on your daughter's case, Mr. Garabedian. The most recent developments.

- Andy Sipowicz. - John Sawye, representing Mr. Garabedian.

I'm upset with where it looks like you're taking this.

- What way is that? - I mean, what happened to the Russian

- as a suspect? - This Dimitri?

You're trying to make John Arcotti the killer,

and I think John Arcotti is the one

who needs representation to protect his rights.

(SIGHS) I'm gonna give you some background on what

we've been finding out, Mr. Garabedian, and then you'll make your judgment.

All right? Why don't you have a seat here. Please, sit down.

(GEORGE GRUNTS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- (DOOR SLAMS) - What am I doing in this room?

Well, the lieutenant must have sensed that you were a little upset, y'know?

He put you in here so you wouldn't be so distracted. What's going on, Johnny?

What's going on? What's going on is... is you're trying

to break up my marriage and involve me in crimes!

And what I attempted was exactly the opposite!

Well what we're trying to do is figure out what happened to Angie Garabedian.

Oh, let me tell you something. Let me tell you some...

I have been under such strain... such strain, you couldn't even believe it.

Now to have my wife told that I'm a criminal.

- Well come on, let's straighten it out. - Yeah, let's straighten this out.

Let's straighten this out right now. You asked my wife.

You asked my wife about Alex Sandoval. Okay, Alex Sandoval,

he came to see me, in the neighborhood of seven to ten days ago.

Okay, now, I made a mistake in my life

three and a half years ago involving Alex Sandoval,

and that was... that was that car theft you asked me about.

- The "registration mix-up." - That involved Alex Sandoval.

Okay, here he comes now. He wants us to work together.

Get out and earn. Carry on, like we did in the good old days.

I said, "No, Alex. No. I'm married.

"I'm a parent, and we're staying with this lovely person, Angie,

"until our own place is ready.

"Wonderful father who's financially comfortable."

Bottom line is, I sent Alex on his way.

Okay? And then, when this... when this transpired, I mean I thought...

I thought I was gonna vomit at what I had realized.

- I had given him this information. - You told him about Angie.

You asked Lisa my connection with Alex Sandoval.

It was the same that was on those phone records,

which in fact is the exact way I was able to trace Alex Sandoval,

by making those phone calls.

You were trying to find Angie. I was trying to find her.

I was just... I was out there trying to save her life

So, Alex's intention was to get ransom. Is that what was going on?

He was holding her ransom.

Now get this.

He had made a tape with instructions on where to drop the money.

- How much was he asking for? - Seventy-five thousand, I think he said.

And he had made a tape to play into the phone when the old man answers.

Except when the old man answers, uh,

he hears "Hello, this is George Garabedian."

- It was the old man's answering machine. - And Alex don't realize this?

No. He holds up the tape recorder, plays the message into the phone

and then hangs up. But see what he messed up is,

he must've hung up before the machine even beeped on,

'cause the message, it don't even get on it.

- He screwed up. - Alex totally screwed up.

How long after this had Angie disappeared?

What? Till I tracked him down? It was several days.

And he admitted. He admitted he was involved,

and he said the guy didn't pay him the money.

I told him, I said, "I know for a fact, Alex.

"The father never got a ransom call."

'Cause I was out there spending days with him handing out flyers.

Now, all I'm thinking, I mean, I know,

I should've probably contacted the police.

- You should've, Johnny. - But my only thought is,

I just wanna get the girl back safe.

Okay? And... 'Cause, of my knowing him,

I got a better chance of getting him to tell.

So I'm asking, I said, "Alex, y'know, where have you got the girl?

"I mean, where have you got Angie hidden?"

And that's what those phone calls were all about.

Hmm.

Now, I mean,

what he must have done is...

he must've gone back and... set her on fire to destroy the evidence.

You know Alex Sandoval's dead.

No, I know. You told my wife. You asked her my connection.

So, do you know a Don Brunelli?

I know... a Don Brunelli.

I believe that Don Brunelli may have been involved with Alex,

in grabbing Angie. And subsequently, Don may have even...

He may have even murdered Alex. Why? What's Don Brunelli telling you?

Don Brunelli's not telling us anything, John. Don Brunelli took off.

But you and Don and Alex were picked out by a station attendant...

who sold you five dollars' worth of gasoline.

And all of you were up there on this little video monitor.

- You want to know how that happened? - Absolu...

Let's see, now...

This is exactly how you get further and further in.

I mean, I was only trying to help.

But... okay...

Okay, I had finally remembered that

Alex had mentioned this vacant house near where his mother lived.

that he'd broken into several months ago, and he obtained a key.

I'm finally thinking maybe this is where they have her.

Now, this is a couple days later?

Yeah. And I go, and I identify the place, and I obtain entry, and there she is.

She's in the basement.

- Angie? - Angie's in the basement.

And she's tied up. And when I go over to... to release her, I realize...

d... she's dead.

And it's just that moment when both Don and Alex, they return.

- Well, where had they been? - How do I know where they've been?

I don't know where they've been. They went out to find her a blanket,

I tell you that, 'cause this girl she was frozen to death.

She was suffocated or something.

- (CHAIR RATTLES) - (PATS SEAT)

Have a seat, John.

- Why? - Have a seat.

- So, you were sure she was dead? - Oh, I know!

She...

- She wasn't moving at all. - It wasn't like she was just unconscious,

she was dead?

No, I mean, they were kicking her and so forth.

I was afraid, I was afraid for my own life.

I mean, I thought... I thought they were gonna kill me

because she was already dead.

I mean, I thought in order to save my own life,

I said, "Guys, let's just... let's get some gasoline, and let's burn her up.

That way I would show that I was not gonna rat on them.

- You said that? - I mean, I have a wife and a small child.

She was already dead.

Angie had carbon in her lungs, John.

She was alive when you set her on fire. She breathed in those flames.

- No way. - No way?

- No way. - After all this...

(BANGS DESK)

...that I've been hearing from you, that's the best you're gonna come up with,

"No way," John?

They made me do this, man! They came at me!

I was trying to save my life! Now look!

I'm in the exact jam they wanted me to be in!

You know, John, we got a general description

on the Alex Sandoval killing.

Average height. Now, Don Brunelli is, as you know, six foot three.

Johnny, you're 5'10".

Now, one of you killed Alex, John. And my money is on you.

It was because I was furious with grief. I mean, I did...

to them exactly what I swore I'd do when they made me watch that fire.

- I took vengeance for Mr. Garabedian. - Vengeance makes it premeditated, John.

Premeditated.

(OPENS DRAWER)

No, I think you'd be better off with, uh, temporary insanity.

(SLAMS DRAWER)

I mean... (SLAMS HANDS)

I felt insane... I... I was... I was exhausted. I was...

You know, I was crazy with grief that they would burn her alive.

I think you got a better shot with that.

It's three days. I...

I still haven't been asleep.

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

LOUIS: Yeah, man. Come on. It's on you, Greg. It's on you.

- What you got, Greg? - Three threes.

(LAUGHING)

- What? Damn! - (LAUGHING)

How in the hell you get a hand like that?

Greg, you must've played poker all day down at the station house.

Y'know, to tell you the truth, I don't play that much poker.

- (TELEPHONE RINGING) - Lucky as you are, you oughta start.

You something else, Greg.

- (VERDIS LAUGHS) - FLOYD: Yeah?

- Maybe you're right. - FLOYD: Hold on.

GREG: (CLEARS THROAT) Oh. Thanks.

Hello?

Yeah, that's me.

Oh, yeah?

- That right? - (SHUFFLING CARDS)

So, uh, what happened?

God.

Well, okay, uh, we'll wrap it up here.

Yeah. Bye.

(BEEP)

That was the borough, uh,

- the threat on your life, that's over. - (POKER CHIPS CLICKING)

It's over? You mean the son of a bitch that wanted to kill me changed his mind?

- No. Turns out somebody whacked him. - He got whacked?

- Y'all hear that? - (CHUCKLING)

- Woodrow got whacked. - He must've had a whole lot of enemies.

- LOUIS: Hmm. Must have. - What do you think of that, Bob?

Somebody went over and canceled my contract on him.

- What you think of that? - What do you mean, what I think of it?

Well, what do you think about it?

I don't think nothin'.

Well, let's go out and get something to eat!

- DELMAR: Yeah, I hear you. - LOUIS: Yeah, let's go out.

That sounds good. Yeah, I can handle that.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Put Greg's money together for him.

- Oh, okay. - GREG: Oh, hey, thanks a lot.

So, uh, point of information, Bob. Where were you before you came up here?

- I was shooting pool. - That Bob shoots a mean stick.

- Where were you, Bob? Over at Jane Street? - Yeah.

And I bet you weren't shooting by yourself, were you?

I never shoot by myself.

My coat, heh. Grimes! Grimes, wake up! (CLAPPING)

- We're through here, Grimes. - GRIMES: What's goin' on?

Game's over.

(FUNKY RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

- Hey, Bobby. - Hey, Greg.

ANDY: (WHISPERS) I understand these things.

Sarge tells me you, uh, collared up on that torch guy.

Yeah. Doin' the fives.

- Yeah. They, uh, they shut my detail down. - Yeah, huh?

I was watching this policy guy, Good News Gates.

Yeah. This guy, Woodrow, had a contract out on him.

- Winds up whacked himself. - Gates had that done?

Well, the thought occurred to me.

Woodrow was shot in the 27, so I told 'em to look at a guy that worked for Gates.

This huge, cross-eyed guy named Bob.

Mm-hmm.

GREG: Anyways, y'know, I... I'm playing poker with these guys.

Professional gamblers.

- I win 312 bucks. - BOBBY: You kiddin' me!

I mean, I... I haven't played poker since I was a kid.

I... I was running bluffs, every other damn thing.

- BOBBY: Hmm. - Three hundred and twelve bucks!

- Greg, uh... - (KEYBOARD CLACKING)

...you sure these guys weren't just, you know, keeping you happy?

Nah. Hey, uh...

I wouldn't imagine so.

I mean, t... t... they're not even from our precinct.

Anyways, uh...

I'm going upstairs, uh, tell Andy I said good night.

Yeah. Night, Greg.

(SIGHS) Look, that kind of talk,

doesn't do anybody any good, Mr. Garabedian.

Um.

I'm gonna be here for another 45 minutes. And you got my home number, right?

- Okay. - (PRINTER BEEPS)

Yeah. Take care.

Father's bad, huh?

I tell ya, they better be heads-up with the metal detectors

when they arraign that Johnny. This guy is liable to go after him.

This kid's got no remorse. Twenty years from now,

he's in the joint, he's still gonna be working on a new wrinkle,

- grounds for an appeal. - A master criminal.

Meanwhile he's working on his escape, digging a tunnel at night with a fork.

Probably break through into a septic tank.

Hey, guys.

- Hey, how's it going, Vince? - Hear you collared up on that torch job.

- Uh-huh. - One of the guys you questioned

- was tattooed like the DOA, right? - Yeah.

- Had one of those unicorns? - Mm-hmm. Russian guy.

I figured it was important, that tattoo. I just didn't know where it fit.

He chose this job over a career in neurosurgery.

- (CHUCKLES) - (PAPER RUSTLING)

- (SIGHS) - (KEYBOARD CLACKING)

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC FADES)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(THEME MUSIC FADES)