Vegas (2012) s01e09 Episode Script

Enough! For God's sake, leave off! I have no doubt that in the gin joints and roadhouses where you lot earned your first dollar, that effort would be acceptable.
On this stage, you are not shaking your peaches for vacuum salesmen.
You must be goddesses! Where is your passion?! Where is your grace?! You better find it, Audrey, my dear, or I shall punt that cute little bottom of yours out of the stage door.
- I will, Max.
- Thank you.
Monique, my cherie, perfection such as yours deserves better.
My headdress keeps slipping.
Chin up, missy.
The boys in the band get it just as bad.
All right, ladies, this isn't a break! Come on! Line up! Let's run it again! Places! Come on! On patrol tonight? Laura's away visiting the kids.
Figured I'd work the floor, keep the rust out.
Your father in Los Angeles? With Diane.
His union friends are arranging screen tests for her.
He thinks she could be the next Peggy Lee.
Best of luck to her.
I hope she lands a starring role and stays there.
How's the count? We're off 12%.
I got a feeling we're gonna see a bump real soon.
I landed us a whale.
Hooked in to Texas oilman Clay Stinson, away from the dunes and into our house.
He's known to drop 200, 250 grand on the weekend.
We could use some more top-tier clients.
If Clay has a good time, the word will get out, and more whales will come in.
Excellent, ladies, thank you.
Excuse me.
Sheriff! I'm starting a campaign for tourism.
I'm thinking maybe that photo on a billboard, but I need a slogan.
Did you really ask me out here for advice on tourism, Mr.
Grady? That's Mayor Grady.
Not quite yet.
The inauguration's not till next week.
Look, Lamb, I've got a vision for this city that I want every Las Vegan to share.
When I started my dry cleaners, the sign on the door, it said, "Welcome," not "Watch it, Buster.
" So let's welcome the newcomers, let's welcome new businesses, welcome new hotels.
"Welcome to Las Vegas.
" That's your slogan.
It lacks panache.
Well, so do I.
So, what's the point? It's simple.
I want us to understand each other.
After all, we're gonna be working closely together.
How are we gonna be doing that? I catch criminals.
You cut ribbons.
Sheriff, did you come to kiss the ring? No.
What'd you come to kiss? Came to take your new boss out to dinner.
We have big plans.
Don't worry.
I'll tell him to take it easy on you.
That's good.
A mobster and a dry cleaner planning out the future of the city.
What could possibly go wrong? Someone there? Good morning.
Hello.
You know we got indoor plumbing back at the ranch now, right? Good morning to you, too.
The last I remember, you were gonna check out a noise complaint? Something about a wild party.
Turns out a couple cocktail waitresses at the Frontier were playing their records a little too loud.
Uh-huh.
And you, uh, took care of it, I assume? Oh, we worked it out.
Yeah.
You looking for something, Miss Sanchez? I just misplaced a personal item.
Find it yet? No.
Hope you do before Dixon does.
Jack Lamb.
We'll be right there.
Is this the position the body was found in? Yes.
Strange.
Her name's Audrey Ballard.
The other showgirls found her when they came here for rehearsal.
Jack, get some deputies, talk to these people.
Find out who last saw her and who has access to the building.
She fought hard for her life.
I think she was dressed after she was killed.
Why would someone do that? She's being presented.
She's a trophy.
Looks like she was strangled with rope or a cord.
Dixon, why don't you get some help and see what you can find? Yeah, sure thing.
Let's get her to the coroner.
She's most likely been raped.
I saw her last night after rehearsal.
When we all left, she stayed behind to work on the new routine.
Did she do that often? Audrey'd gotten her own set of keys so she could work late.
She wanted to be great, and she would have been.
Excuse me.
I mean this with all proper respect, but when can I have my stage back? When we solve this murder.
Yes, that's not going to work for me.
Max Chandler, director.
Jack Lamb.
Busy.
- Look, if I might just - Max! Audrey's dead.
The last time you saw her, you were screaming at her and you threatened her.
So please show some respect.
Why were you threatening Audrey, Mr.
Chandler? "Threat" seems a strong word.
I was motivating her to a better performance.
Max is tough on all of us, but only because he wants us to be the best.
I liked Audrey so much, that when she begged me for a $300 advance, I gave it to her.
You know what she needed it for? I'm afraid I've no idea.
Don't ask me.
Audrey kept to herself.
Did the other performers have something against her? No.
She just wasn't one of the girls.
Well, what do you mean by that? On stage, every girl wants the spotlight and everything that goes with it.
But off, I never knew what Audrey's angle was.
Oh! Oh! Clay Stinson will be here any minute.
Rolled in half hour ago.
Rolled? He travels by train.
Has his own private car.
I feel like a damn Butler.
He only wants orange towels, distilled bottled water.
I had to get our contractor to put an extra window in the bedroom.
- Vinny! - Hey! Did you get shorter or did I get taller? A little bit of both, Clay.
It's an honor to have you here.
Oh, my word.
Clay Stinson.
Enchanted.
And you are? Mia Rizzo.
Mia.
Small name for such a boundless beauty.
Vinny knows how to pick 'em, huh? Mia's an executive here at the Savoy.
Oh, brains, too! I'm intrigued! What's the odds that a humble oilman like myself might strike gold? Oh, everybody loves a long shot.
Let's get you all settled in.
Anything you and your guests need.
- I'll show you the suites.
- Come on! Let's go! He is a character.
Audrey Ballard applied for a work card back in '59, but she find work until the Stargazer six months ago.
No previous jobs listed.
She from Vegas? St.
George in Utah.
See what was she doing that first year in town.
I will.
No luck so far on a murder weapon.
Combed the theater, the alleys outside.
All right.
Start checking arrest records for men who've done violence against women.
But also Peeping Toms, lewd behavior.
Coroner confirms she was raped.
What kind of man does that? And dresses her up? One who's not right in the head.
If I find him, I ain't gonna bother with the cuffs.
Let's do it again! Any drink at that table gets halfway, bring 'em a fresh one.
How's it going? Down 60 grand in the first hour.
He looks happy for a man losing so much money.
It's not about the money.
It's the rush.
The further down he gets, the bigger the bets he'll make to win it back.
Vinny! Got a favor to ask.
How can I help, Clay? Well, the dealer here tells me the table limit's $500 a hand.
Is that right? We can be flexible.
How high you want to go? Benny Binion, he'll take any bet.
Ol' Benny can be a little crazy in that way.
Maybe I'm feeling a little crazy, too, huh? Clay, for you, no limit.
Now we're playing.
Half a million dollars.
Sir? You heard me right.
$500,000 on the next hand.
No limit means no limit.
Am I right, Vinny? Or should I take my goodwill and charm to Benny across the street? The bet's covered.
Deal 'em.
House shows nine.
Split.
That's another half a million.
One million on the table.
Queen of diamonds makes 21.
Jack of hearts makes 21 twice.
Whoo-hoo! Yeah! House pays one million dollars.
What a shame.
Audrey gave notice just last week, was moving out.
Where to? I didn't ask.
She didn't say.
May I? Did she have any visitors? A boyfriend? When she first moved in, there was a guy who came around.
What was his name? I'm not nosy.
People ought to have their privacy.
It was Todd.
I think.
See him around lately? Not for a couple of months.
They were a very feisty couple.
Look at this.
Our girl had her secrets.
This town is a honey trap, isn't it? Bad things happened here before the casinos sprang up, Ralph.
See anybody come around last night, Doris? Uh, like I said, I ain't nosy.
But I didn't see nobody.
Somebody was here.
and one million.
I'm so happy you called.
Fortune favors the bold.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of your weekend here with us.
You know what I'd really enjoy is if my million new friends and I got to know your little Mia better.
Uh I'd be more than happy to help you find some company.
I'm neck-deep in company.
What I really want is a night with Miss Rizzo.
Uh, all due respect, Clay, but I think you got her pegged wrong.
All due respect, Vinny, everybody's got a price.
Pass on my offer.
See what the little lady says.
Those ingrates will be drinking free booze, trashing our rooms, and on top of that, taking our money.
Nah, Clay can't stay away from the tables.
Especially when he's hot.
It's like leaving money behind.
It's a million dollars.
He can lose it as fast as he won it, so long as he stays in the hotel.
So your only purpose in life right now is to make sure he doesn't leave the Savoy.
"You shall be forgiven.
" Is that a religious reference? It could be, but if we're dealing with a crazy, it's gonna be a tough nut to crack.
Well, I was looking through the files, and if sheriff Clyde did do one thing right, he ran the perverts out of town.
Well, that's the ones he caught.
Plus everybody's alibi at the Stargazer checks out.
Audrey borrows money and plans to move.
Sounds to me like she's trying to get away.
Maybe from the boyfriend.
If he started coming back around, giving her trouble Or somebody saw her in that magazine, got obsessed and started tracking her.
I saw on the back you can order any prints of the girls you want.
Come on.
I'll go see if the publisher can give us a lead.
Yeah, you do that.
Sheriff, Mayor Grady's on the line.
He's not mayor yet.
Well, he's still on the phone.
Not now.
Come on in, Katherine.
I put out a wire to neighboring counties, and I got a response right away from a sheriff in Kingman, Arizona.
He met me halfway.
Get something on Audrey? No, on the killer.
This was found scrawled next to another murdered woman.
Audrey wasn't his first.
This was two years ago.
The victim's name is Jenny Lester.
She worked as a dancer in a go-go bar.
She was found strangled in her apartment.
They have a suspect? The sheriff in Kingman figures it's someone in her life but never got a lead to who that was.
Our killer looked for Audrey at her apartment, but when he didn't find her there, he knew she was at the theater.
He knew her.
Hey, so that magazine Glynt is published locally.
Company also does stag films.
It's owned by a T.
R.
Thurman.
T Didn't the landlady talk about a guy named Todd? Well, he rents a warehouse off Boulder Highway.
All right, Jack, you're coming with me.
Dixon, you see if you can get a picture on that guy.
Maybe somebody in the theater crowd saw him hanging around.
I'll come with you.
We'll let you know what we find.
It would be, uh, really helpful if you could find out if this Todd Thurman fella has a record or ties back in Kingman.
I'll look into it.
Thanks.
- Did the sheriff just leave? - He did.
Oh I have a number for Audrey's family.
- In St.
George? - Yeah.
Talk about a small town; I think my apartment building has a larger population.
- Did you talk to her parents? - No.
When I asked the operator to connect me to the ballards, she said that Noah Ballard was a Deacon, and he would be at a church function all evening.
I'll pass it on to Ralph.
Thank you, Katherine.
My pleasure.
Going somewhere? I've heard great things - about this new French place on First.
- What, Girard's? Oh, you're gonna love it.
Hey, Vinny, uh I don't know my French from my Greek.
What should I get? Honestly? The menu's for suckers.
I don't even order, Girard's a friend of mine.
He just makes me his favorite dishes.
Well, that's what I want.
Okay.
Tell you what, why don't you go into my cafe, and I'll ask Girard to do me a favor and make a special private meal for you and your friends.
Vinny, I'm much obliged.
Come on! We're stayin' here.
We're gettin' a private meal.
Get me the house phone.
Easy with that, Frenchy.
Orange duck.
Nice.
Don't get that sauce on the carpet.
Come on, Frenchy, let's get a move on.
Okay, Girard.
What's for dessert? Ah! Well, we gotta get in somehow.
We'll give him a calling card.
Come on.
Oh, fantastic.
Love it, love it Knock, knock.
Sheriff's department.
That was my door.
Are you Todd Thurman? - What the hell is this about? - You ladies sit tight.
- Audrey Ballard.
- Oh, that little tramp.
I'm here for what you did to her.
She baited me.
That sounds like a confession to murder.
Murder? No, no, I'm talking about the pictures that I sent to her father.
Where were you last night? I was right here with the girls.
We were doing the French revolution.
Is that right, ladies? All right, time to go home.
Let's go.
Let's go You ever get any fan letters for Audrey? Have any creeps taking too much of an interest? No, never.
I mean, I sold a bunch of her mail-order prints.
Yeah? You keep records of those sales? Yeah, on my desk, the top left drawer.
Take it out, Jack.
When was the last time you saw her? Last week.
She she wanted to buy back her negatives.
Hmm? Did she get 'em? For $300? Yeah.
Got the list.
All right.
Now you listen.
- Oh - And you listen good.
You got two hours to haul your ass out of my town.
If you come back Next time, I aim a little higher.
So? What'd you think? Perfecto, as the French would say.
The dice are hot tonight.
Looks like you got something started with your big win.
In any case, can I offer you something else? Uh cognac, iced Cuban Anything to keep you off my tables.
Vinny, I appreciate your hospitality.
Well, thank me when you leave.
That's what I'm doing.
So soon? I ever tell you about the time I went big game hunting in Africa? Uh, no, I don't believe you have.
Well, I took planes and boats for ages to go halfway around the world.
And on my first day, I come face to face with a rhino.
Mean old bastard.
And I shot him dead.
Know what I did the rest of the week? Sat in a muddy tent playin' gin rummy.
Lesson learned.
You gotta go before the thrill wears off.
I'll see you again.
Count on it.
Should I draw a marker for Stinson? No, he's leaving.
And get all our shills away from my craps table.
They're annoying me.
Mr.
Ballard? Miss O'Connell? Please, have a seat.
No, thank you.
You said this was about Audrey? Yes.
You tell her this is all I have for her.
So whatever trouble she's in now, it's not my concern.
Mr.
Ballard.
Audrey was murdered.
I'm sorry.
It was God's will.
Mr.
Ballard, Audrey was A victim of cruel circumstance.
In my eyes, she brought many bad things upon herself.
Perhaps this, too.
Please don't contact me again.
Is this Harold McCracken? Yes, I'm calling about your subscription to Glynt magazine.
Uh, no, this is not about a renewal, um I'm a deputy with the Clark County Sheriff's Department.
Hello? Hey, what are you doing? I'm looking for that thing I lost.
Well, I can't help you if you don't tell me what it is.
It's a spider.
I saw him when I was cleaning out the file room, but he crawled in here and I lost him.
What kind of spider? I'm no expert.
He's orange and brown and hairy.
About this big.
You sure? Maybe more this size.
Come on, now.
One second, he's curled up next to a box.
The next Lightning fast.
Let me know if you see him.
"I'm moving if you change your mind, here's where to find me" it's a change of address It could give us a lead.
Ah, we'll check it out.
I-I can do it.
That's not your job.
You talked to her daddy.
He's a Deacon at the church.
"Are we not blessed, you shall be forgiven.
" Don't you think those words make him a suspect? His minister confirms he was at a church social the night Audrey died.
Did you know that information when you talked to him? I did what was necessary.
Well, that could've turned bad real quick.
This is not about me, Ralph.
Yeah, Katherine, it is about you if I have to worry about you putting yourself in a dangerous situation.
- You just let us handle it.
- Audrey was raped and murdered.
And that person is still out there and we are doing nothing to stop him.
We are doing everything that we can.
It's not enough.
And I will not stand over another dead girl and wonder what more I could've done.
Vinny, I appreciate the generosity.
Mia, dear, such a pleasure.
My offer still stands.
Perhaps some other time.
Vinny, always a hoot.
So long, Clay.
What offer? Nothing you'd be interested in.
You don't play that game.
You're not my keeper, Vincent.
I was just looking out for you.
And you're certainly not my father.
What's he gonna say about a weekend's take rolling away on a train? Some things are out of our hands.
Welcome back to the Savoy.
What a shame anything we can do to help, just let us know.
Switch at the rail yard broke.
Can't move his private car.
Could be stuck here for days.
Some things are out of our hands.
That was the last name on Todd Thurman's list.
Turns out all his Las Vegas subscribers check out.
Audrey borrowed money to buy those negatives back.
There had to be somebody that she didn't want to know about them.
Well, it's not her father.
Maybe she had a new fella in her life.
I got a name to go with that forwarding address on the postcard.
It's a house leased to a Chris Stengel.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Ma'am.
Where's Chris Stengel? You're looking at her.
I'm Chris.
We're sorry to be the bearers of such bad news.
Murdered? Yes, ma'am.
Can you think of anyone who'd do this? No.
How long have You and Audrey known one another? A few months.
We met at a party.
Mutual friends.
I can tell that she meant a lot to you.
You wait all your life To meet a friend like that.
Did anyone else know? No.
We were very careful.
As far as, uh, men she knew, did she get any special attention from anybody? No more than any showgirl gets.
She used to think she wasn't good for anything else.
But she found her confidence, she found herself.
Something changed.
She spend much time anywhere outside the theater? Not really.
Audrey was working on her own act.
She thought it could be her ticket to Broadway.
Hmm.
She stayed late quite a lot of nights working on it with someone - from the Stargazer Show.
- Well, do you have any idea who that was? She didn't say.
- Mayor Grady - Take a message.
is in your office.
I had nowhere else to put him.
- What's on your mind, Mr.
Grady? - I am feeling a lack of mutual respect.
You haven't been answering my calls.
The things you said in front of - Vincent Savino.
- You come in here to get in a dogfight? Sheriff, I know it may seem like Savino is pulling my strings, but I'm calling my own shots.
Take a look at these.
Case files The late Bob Perrin, the late sheriff Clyde Olsen, the late mobster Davey Cornaro.
They were all friends with Savino.
I'd hate to start a file on you.
You're gonna have to excuse me.
Take care.
Miss O'Connell.
I didn't come to apologize.
I didn't expect you to.
Sit down.
I've been thinking a lot about you.
We've known each other A pretty long time.
Long as I can remember.
I remember when you were a kid, you were just all eyes You had these big old eyes.
And you grew into this gangly-legged teenager, and then you just took off.
In all the time I've known you I've never seen you lose control of yourself.
Are you all right? Remember Joan, my cousin from Cedar City? Mm-hmm.
When I was 15, she came to visit.
And one of our ranch hands raped her.
She went to her father, he told her to keep it quiet.
Lest the shame of it ruin her.
Like it was her fault.
I wanted to tell my dad.
But Joan didn't want me to.
She said it would just cause trouble.
That must've been a hard thing to keep quiet about.
But Joan never mentioned it again, and the ranch hand quit.
For a while I forgot.
Till a year later, I saw in the papers that He raped a girl in Henderson.
I should have done something when I had the chance.
Katherine.
We're gonna find Audrey's killer.
And we'll be a lot better served doing it with you than without you.
I was hoping you'd say that.
How's he doing? He's playing small stakes.
a couple grand.
I just got a call my dad's coming back early.
When? Tomorrow.
Diane's audition didn't go well.
You're not gonna like this either.
Stinson booked a charter flight.
It leaves in two hours.
We can't let him get on that plane.
Great.
Thank you so much.
That was a prosecutor friend of mine in New York.
Our director Max fled the bright lights of Broadway.
Assault and lascivious conduct charges were brought against him by several dancers.
Why didn't we come across this before? - They were dropped; No record.
- I'll bet he threatened to blackball those girls if they went through with the charges.
We'll bring him in.
I'll go to the theater.
Maybe people saw Max come on to Audrey - but were too afraid to speak up.
- All right.
So, what about the girls in New York? I learned my lesson.
I don't mess around with dancers anymore.
But Audrey was something special to you, wasn't she? She had talent, and unfortunately, a poor attitude.
Oh, is that what you call it when a girl won't sleep with you? I don't know what you've heard, but there was nothing between us.
I heard she rejected you.
Well, no man likes that.
You know how it is.
Most men don't strangle a girl, rape her and then dress her up when she says no.
What are you talking about? Look what I found in the maestro's car.
Hmm.
Catchy title.
That's not mine.
Audrey gave it to me.
She said she wanted to do her own number.
She wrote it? The choreography that goes with it, yes, but not the music, no.
Who did? Kerry Chase? I'm Katherine O'Connell from the district attorney's office.
I'd like to talk to you about Max Chandler.
Of course.
Uh, please, take a seat.
Thank you.
Did Max behave differently with Audrey? He was always yelling at her, always taking her to task.
What about sexual advances? Let's just say Max was working his way down the line.
Can I get you something? No, thank you.
The thing about Max, he never appreciated Audrey.
She was the real deal; she was going places.
But Max, he was blind to her gifts.
You've been very helpful.
We'll talk again.
Thank you.
I wrote that song for Audrey.
It was gonna be the opening number of our act.
Ticket to New York! The way she moved to my music, we were made for each other.
But she tried to deny it, as if my feelings weren't worth anything.
So I had to punish her Just like the others.
Get down! You all right? Yeah.
Looks like he'll live.
You're not gonna believe this.
What's she doing? She took him up on his offer? What are the stakes? They each bought in for a million, heads up, winner take all.
Five thousand.
Let's make it $30,000.
Call.
Did she tell you she was gonna draw money out of the cage? No.
Three.
I'll take one.
Is that your best poker face? I wear my heart on my sleeve.
Check.
Well, no point in dragging this out.
I'll all in, sweetheart.
Well, looking at 'em ain't gonna make 'em better.
You're right.
So I'll call.
Well, you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
Pair of eights is all you got? That's all I got.
Busted straight.
You win.
I was this close.
You're a real gentlemen, Clay.
I'll be back, Ms.
Rizzo.
You can bet your last dollar on that.
Let's go! You bet with the house money? You think I'd draw a million dollars for a poker game without telling you? It's right there on the table.
The chips are for show.
Then what was the real bet? A lady never tells.
Why is it eyeballing me? Could just shoot him But the bullet could ricochet and who knows who'd get hit? You could try stomping on him, but if you miss, it could crawl right up your leg, and they flick hairs at you, too.
They do what? Phht! Like that.
What the hell's going on here? We're at an impasse.
I think he likes you.
There you are! It's like you were born in New York City.
Well, I didn't see either of you pick it up.
Raised on a ranch.