The Streets of San Francisco (1972) s01e11 Episode Script

- Ready? - Yeah.
This is Security in the west building.
The lights keep going out here.
Maybe you'd better get the power company to check on it.
Okay, I'll have a look around.
- Hold it.
Right there.
- Hey.
Josh.
- Josh, he's dead.
- Yeah.
All right.
- Josh, he's dead! - All right, come on.
Come on, Jerry.
Let's go! You can't run forever, buddy boy.
Come on.
Come on, get off your bicycle.
Come on.
Stick and move, stick and move.
That's all you old men know.
Old man? I'll give you old man.
You backtracking tap dancer, you.
Come on.
This man moves like a butterfly and stings like a bee.
And runs like a rabbit, huh? Maybe lets - Hey, Stone.
- Yeah.
Telephone.
Okay, tiger.
Lucky that bell rang, because I was just about ready to ring yours.
What'd you do? Get someone to bail you out after five rounds? I'll tell you a secret.
I thought of it.
Yeah, Stone.
Yeah.
We're coming right over.
Yeah, I know where it is.
What? Oh, I was just thinking.
Here we are, working out, feeling good, full of ginger.
Somebody else takes the count.
You got a killing? Ghirardelli.
Night watchman walked in on someone at the lmperial Jade Company.
Well, come on, let's take them off.
Lieutenant, inspector.
Just about done with the scud work.
- Owner's in the office.
- Where's the body? Around the corner.
Took a slug point-blank, looks like.
How'd he get in? - This roof door, over there.
- Right.
- Did you get the coroner? - On the way.
Yeah, powder burns, all right.
You're right.
He took the shot point-blank.
- What's the owner's name? - Mr.
Wu.
Mr.
Wu.
Mr.
Wu? Lieutenant Stone, Homicide.
How do you do, lieutenant? - How much did they get? - Over a half a million dollars.
- All in jade? - Yes.
Was any of it carved? Traceable? It was the finest grade imperial jade.
Flown to any of the world markets, the individual pieces could be sold at full price, and there would be no way of tracing them.
All right.
The insurance company should reimburse you in full, - I should think, shouldn't they? - I'm sure they will.
They're a very reputable firm.
- And so are we, lieutenant.
- Oh, I know that, Mr.
Wu.
But once in a while, very reputable fingers get caught in some very reputable tills.
Here, if you happen to think of anything more on the shooting, - why, there's my number.
- Thank you, lieutenant.
You don't figure an inside job, do you, lieutenant? Well, it's pretty tough to break in from the outside, isn't it? All those lights on and the locks, security checks and You're thinking inside.
Yeah.
Unless you got something that says it's different? Well, Nelson might.
There was a power company truck outside at 3 a.
m.
This morning.
He called the company, and there were no details for this area, but there was a stolen truck reported.
Let's go.
Stay here.
Oh, man, you gotta be an engineer or have a diagram for a job like this.
Well, let's suppose they did have a diagram.
Then what? Well, yeah, they could then bring each wire to the alarm system to the electric eye, yeah.
They'd know how long to keep it turned off before it could be traced.
Well, I'll get it dusted, but I don't think a job this smooth they'd leave prints.
Put your light on that.
- Looks like grease.
- It's more like tar.
It's the same stuff I found on the stairs up by the roof.
You mean down here and up there could be the same person? Two guys that work at the same job? Roofing company, gas station.
Come on, let's get it to the lab.
Okay, thanks, buddy.
Oh, no, it can't be.
What? Has it been seven or eight years? Could be.
What are you talking about? Gypsies, buddy boy.
Modern-day Gypsies.
The Fergusons.
- Who? - Fergusons.
Haven't you ever heard of Angus Ferguson? - No.
- Well, you will.
They're like locusts.
They pick a town, and they pick it clean.
- Bunco, huh? - Yeah, none better.
You know, old man Angus has mastered every con and hustle you can think of.
You wanna hit them before they get started? No.
No, no.
There's nothing to bust them on.
He keeps them all just this side of the law.
Never any violence.
Look, get on the box.
- Tell Bunco to batten down.
- Right.
Now, pick one, any one.
Queen of hearts.
Queen of hearts for the princess of my heart.
Your turn now, Nicholas.
Come on, practice, Nicky, practice.
This afternoon, the visit is over.
We put you on the bus, and you go home to your mama.
I want you to show her what you learned.
Angus.
We are almost there.
Frisco-one, this is Alpha-one.
Hold on, Grandpa.
- Dad, Grandpa's on the horn.
- Okay.
- Hello, Papa.
- Roger.
Alpha-one approaching northwest sector 24.
Countdown to arrival, zero minus two.
- Are quarters secured? - Yeah, Papa.
We're all set.
Any problems? - No, Papa.
Everything's under control.
- Roger, over and out.
I think maybe Maybe we ought to think about breaking this off right here and now.
But why? It's the old man.
You know how he's gonna take this.
Yeah, I think I do.
If he finds out.
It's never been killing before.
Con, flimflam, hustle.
Never murder.
Wait a minute.
That wasn't murder.
- But Josh - No, no, no, wait.
You weren't there.
That job was planned, just like everything else we do.
And the one thing you can't plan for, can't program, is a freak accident.
That guard had a gun.
There was no other way out, Al.
You wanna call that whole scene an accident, self-preservation, whatever.
Not murder.
Papa Josh is right.
- The man is dead! All right! We can't change that, Al! Look, you're sitting on a half a million bucks.
That's what you wanted.
James wanted, Jerry, I wanted.
All right, we got that.
One more job and the family will never have to hustle again.
Stopping now isn't gonna change what happened.
What would you have done in my place, Al? Okay.
Get the doors open.
Put this stuff where Papa doesn't find it.
Okay.
San Francisco.
Our city, Mama.
Our city.
Just for the taking.
- Mrs.
Cartwright? - Yes? - Mrs.
Henry Cartwright? - Yes? Well, congratulations.
Well, you were referred to us by your neighbor, Mrs.
Kramer, I believe, for a free set of complete rain gutters.
- Free? - Yes, ma'am.
You see, if your roof is eight years old or less Well, it's like a promotional Well, your roof is eight years old? - Well, it's a little over eight.
- Well, how much more? - Well, ten? - Oh, gee, I'm very sorry.
Oh, but my husband keeps it in excellent repair.
Well, Mrs.
Cartwright, we have specifications by which we maintain Actually, what you put on this paper is what really counts, isn't it? - Yes, it is, but we still have certain - Oh, eight years.
- But Mrs - Oh, please.
Well, maybe just this time.
It'll probably only cost you peanuts to bring this roof up to specifications anyway.
- You win, Mrs.
Cartwright.
- There's a ladder in the garage.
Okay, let's get it moving.
There we go, Mr.
Hopkins.
Just give us your John Henry right by the X.
Right there.
All I'm paying for is the maintenance, right? Oh, yes, sir.
Of course, you know you're signing that you won't tell your neighbors about that.
That's your guarantee to the company in exchange for promotional value to us.
- I call that square.
By the X, you say? - Right.
Right there, sir.
Hey! Hey! What are you people doing here? Oh, hi, Mr.
Whipple.
No, it's not Whipple, it's Ralph Dunn, and I own this house.
- What are you people doing here? - Dunn? Look at that, we come to the wrong house.
Terrific.
Well, I'm sorry, sir.
You see, Mr.
Whipple said that we could resurface his driveway.
We're giving him the whole job for half price as he's the first in the neighborhood, and it's kind of, well, good advertising for the company, you know? Well, anyway, I'm sorry if we disturbed you, Mr.
Dunn? Dunn.
Think we can find the right place this time? Hey Hey, wait a minute.
You're kind of unloaded anyway.
Hey, you say you're giving a resurfacing job at half price? Yeah.
Why not me instead of Whipple? - Why not? - Sure.
- You got it.
- Okay.
What's going on, Lessing? Overflow from Bunco.
Chief said to lend a hand.
They can't cover it all.
Man, it's like an epidemic.
- Fergusons.
- They went through Pacific Heights block by block and then disappeared.
- Well, what about the trucks? - You can't stop every truck in town.
They repaint those phony panel signs at least twice a day.
And both of them were such nice-looking boys.
Couldn't have been over 20.
Clean-cut, well-mannered.
And so I trusted them.
You would too.
But the roof never leaked before.
And my husband ran the hose over it Are you kidding? You got to snap it up, right? And then they leave, and then you read the fine print.
Have you any idea how much maintenance comes to? I could give you a description.
It was that sneaky one.
That sneaky one who called and told me how I'd been picked.
They said they were gonna resurface my whole driveway for half price if I was the first one in the neighborhood.
And then all they did was spray some kind of stuff on it that melted the top and made it look pretty good.
And then they said it was gonna dry in six hours.
Now, look, look.
Look what happened to these shoes after I just walked on it.
Now, I paid good money for those shoes, and I paid a lot more for a driveway that's oozing into my front lawn.
Now, I want my money! Excuse me, may I see that for just a minute? And I want those people put in jail where they belong! Yes, sir.
Excuse me.
Mike.
Someone just had their driveway resurfaced.
- By the Fergusons? - Sounds that way, yeah.
I don't know.
It just Just doesn't make sense.
Why not? You know what I'm thinking? This is the same stuff we found on the steps of the Jade Company.
Okay, get it under the microscope.
Jerry, remember, the first-grade material goes on last so it shows.
Oh, Grandpa, that's what we're doing right now.
Let me see those.
These are the factory rejects? Yeah, Gramps, you see, the Denver House didn't have any more rejects, - so they gave us seconds.
- Seconds? What kind of a unit profit can we expect laying out perfectly good seconds? - But, Gramps, you see - Tell Denver this is a business I run, - not a charity.
- All right, Grandpa.
Okay.
Okay? - Did you see that? - What? The way he looked at me.
The way they all looked at me.
- Oh, Angus.
- Don't tell me I'm imagining, Mama.
I've seen it for months now.
Ever since Ellen married Josh.
That one is trouble.
I know it.
And I know he talks against me.
What can any of the family say against you? - You hold them together.
- They can say I'm old.
- And they'd be right.
- I won't listen to that.
When we began, we lived by our wits to keep the wolf from the door.
But now, the corporations, the computers, the contracts, the lawyers The fun is gone.
Only the taking remains, and that can be dangerous.
People like Josh, they don't know what it is to be hungry, to be without.
They've had too much, and they want too much more.
I worry even my own sons don't know.
I think you worry too much, Angus.
I hope so, Mama.
- I hope so.
- Come, let us get back to the office.
Can you feel it, Al? Down there, all around us? The old man says to do your homework, right? Well, I did mine.
You know what the volume is in this place? In securities, I mean.
After 12:30 every day, San Francisco is the leading securities market in the world.
Josh, it's impossible to pull off.
Not for us.
We've got the manpower, the files, the figures, even a network to get it out of the country.
We've got it all, Al.
The old man set it up.
All we have to do is work it like we did with the Jade Company.
It's a little bigger than that, Josh.
So are we, right, brother? It's the same substance, all right.
On all the samples.
- Okay.
Thanks, Ben.
- All right.
- No, something's wrong.
- Mike, I'm sorry, it fits.
And what's more, it ties together both the killing and the robbery.
Angus Ferguson is a lot of things, but he's not a killer.
You're not the only one getting older.
Maybe he's not running the show.
That's not funny, buddy boy.
The way that old man has built up this organization over the years, in wrong hands? Now you just show the rest of the guys that jade, okay? Tell them what we pulled off, on our own, then they'll be with us.
Not Papa.
We don't need him for this.
He won't be involved.
Look around you, Al.
Pick a target.
There, there, there? We're walking down a street with four of the largest banks in the state, including the world's largest.
They're all handling those stocks and bonds.
Stuff that takes months, maybe even years to trace.
I'm telling you, brother, now is the time.
And like the natives say, this is the city.
- Okay, Josh.
- Attababy.
Come on.
Ferguson, huh? That's not really a Gypsy name, is it? Angus came from the Balkans somewhere.
Changed his name when he got to this country.
He told us kids he won it in a crap game.
So you really knew him? I grew up with him.
Same block.
Ma Ferguson's kitchen was one of the best places in the Potrero.
She used to make cookies like Did you ever tasted a Gypsy cookie? No.
What are they? I don't know.
I never asked her.
I only know that I've never tasted anything better in my life.
So when did he take off for the road? Oh, just after the war, I think.
The old man got the idea from the Germans.
Blitzkrieg a neighborhood and move out fast.
And the lady you're gonna see, this is his daughter? Yeah.
Bonnie.
- We went to school together.
- Well, why didn't she stay with him? Well, I think she took a lot of heat from the kids about her father.
Got tired of it, I guess.
Disowned them completely.
And you think she's gonna put you in touch with the old man? Maybe.
No.
Whatever they are, they're still my parents, Mike.
If the law wants them, the law can find them.
Well, I just wanted to ask Angus some questions, Bonnie, that's all.
You think he'd answer them? This time, yes.
It's about murder.
What? And you think it was the family? I think I can prove it.
Oh, Mike, you have to be wrong.
Papa wouldn't let that happen.
Well, maybe he's in trouble.
Maybe he didn't know.
When was the last time you talked to him? He and Ma call once a year.
On my birthday.
Your birthday? Say, it's the same month as mine, isn't it? Capricorn? - Yes.
- It's been a while.
It's been a while for you to remember that too.
Yes, it has, hasn't it? And I also remember that you were as stubborn as I was.
You're not gonna let go of this, are you? I can't, even if I wanted to, Bonnie.
You know, every month, they send me a check for a thousand dollars.
And every month, I tear it up.
I pay a pretty high price to lead a decent life, Mike.
But I won't turn them in.
Then you do know how to reach them.
Well, I I have a number.
It changes every time the check comes.
Papa wants to make sure I have a place to call in case I need any help.
Or if something happens that says he does.
I never used it.
Use it now, Bonnie.
Tell him to set up a meeting.
Anytime, anyplace.
Just the two of us.
It'll be private, I promise.
Just to talk.
Okay, take it out.
And with the comparison figures of the same quarter last year, we see profits are up five and one-half percent.
Plain cash, that's only about $40,000 per family.
You look down your nose on that? Do you know what your Mama and I had to do for one-tenth of that - when you were a baby? - Well, I'm not a baby now, so don't talk to me like one! - Albert.
- No, Ma.
We're supposed to go over the books.
Okay, let's go over the books.
Let's go over all the years of this community enterprise and add up how much we have from it.
Obviously you did some adding of your own - before you asked for this meeting.
- Look, Papa, we have the ability and the technology to walk into a city and walk out with anything we want.
- And we do just that.
- No, we don't.
We only do what you want, what you say.
- You want something bigger? - Yes.
A lot bigger.
Like? Like that.
Where did you get it? - That's not important.
- I'll decide what's important.
Not right now, Papa.
What's important is that we talk.
Because there's a lot more of that, - and a lot of other places we can take.
- Silence.
Papa, we don't have to change all the methods.
Only the targets.
- All I want is - Silence! - I will not be dictated to.
- Well, you dictate to everybody else.
Yes.
Because this old Gypsy is smarter than everybody else.
He has never been the victim of greed.
And make no mistake, greed victimizes all who fall into its trap.
That's the secret behind our success.
We made greed our ally.
But it's a two-edged sword, boy.
You can live by the greed of others, or die by your own.
Now, I want to know where this came from, and I want to know why I wasn't told about it before! - Angus.
- Grandpa, - there's a call on the emergency line.
- It's Bonnie.
She's the only one who has that number.
You're in charge, Albert.
Alert everyone we may have to execute an emergency escape.
But when I get back, I want those answers.
- Is that him? - Yeah, that's him.
He said alone.
Michael.
Michael Stone.
Look at you.
And look at me, eh? An old man.
But you, the years are good to you.
Hello, Mr.
Ferguson.
Angus.
You must call me Angus, Michael.
Now we are men together.
Sit or stroll? - Let's walk.
- Good.
You're not an easy man to find.
If I were, we'd see a lot of each other, eh? Yeah, I suppose so.
- I certainly appreciate your coming.
- It must be very important to you.
I'm sure it's not the policy of your department to meet with a person like myself and not place them under arrest.
Well, I don't have a warrant for your arrest, and I don't have any evidence to tie you in personally with this case I'm on.
- I just wanted to talk to you about it.
- What is that, Michael? Murder.
That isn't my How do you call it? - M.
O? - I know it isn't.
But I believe that a member of the family killed the night watchman at the lmperial Jade Company the night before you came to town.
Killed him before we came to town? I don't follow that logic.
When you hit a town, you hit it like a bolt of lightning and you disappear just as fast.
Now you know that you couldn't do that if you didn't send a few of the boys in ahead.
Who were they? I'm not in the habit of discussing the method of my operations with the police, Michael.
Well, Mr.
Ferguson, I know a A part of me is a cop.
You're right.
But there's still a part of me that's a little kid sitting in your kitchen gobbling down cookies, watching you do card tricks.
- I believed in you.
What do you say? - Michael.
Who were they? They're my family.
I understand that, and I respect it.
But isn't it time you taught them to respect the law? I knew you didn't teach them to murder.
I taught them all I knew.
But never to kill.
Well, now you know that one of them is a murderer.
You must believe it, or you wouldn't have said that.
Be in your office tomorrow morning, 9:00.
I'll let you know.
One way or the other, you'll get my message.
Angus! Killer.
Papa.
Papa, no.
You robbed and you killed.
You broke all the rules, and you killed! He didn't kill anybody, Grandpa.
- You were with him.
- That's right.
And so were they.
And so are the rest of us now, Grandpa.
You all know what happened, and you condone it? Grandpa, we couldn't help what happened.
You could have helped by not being there.
You could have remembered what I told you about guns and violence.
And we could spend the rest of our lives nailing shingles and slopping tar, but we're not gonna do it.
We're gonna take the same samplings that you use in your operation with one difference.
We're gonna make one big score.
It was you.
You pulled the trigger.
You shot the man and left him.
- He pulled a gun on me.
- You shouldn't have had a gun.
Gramps, would you rather see me dead? Have Ellen become a widow? Is that what you want, Gramps? You shouldn't have even been there.
Papa, we got away with a half million dollars in one night.
You broke all the rules.
There are gonna be some new rules now, Grandpa.
And we're gonna make them.
Papa.
- Well, good morning.
- Morning, buddy boy.
- Any word from the old man yet? - No.
Well, things have slowed down anyway.
- See you finally got the sketches.
- Yeah.
He's Albert.
I knew him.
He's the oldest.
The other two must be grandsons.
And you think he's gonna call, huh? He said he would.
- Maybe he's putting you on too.
- Maybe.
It's gonna be a blitzkrieg.
This is Montgomery Street.
They call it the street of banks.
This is Target A, B, C and D.
I figure this baby for two to three hundred thousand in securities.
- You intend to hit them all at once? - That's right.
Four banks on the same street, all at the same time.
Well, the hand is quicker than the eye, Gramps, remember? We're only after the securities they're holding.
We'll arrive by appointment, and deal with one trusting soul in the back room, in the true Ferguson style, of course.
How do you leave this trusting soul? Well, just so he won't talk, Papa, he'll be bound and gagged.
And shot to death if he resists.
Maybe you'd better sit down, Grandpa.
We're trying to run a tight ship here, like you taught us.
Okay? Tell him.
Tell him that Fergusons are not common thieves.
They're not murderers.
Tell him you will not risk taking any more lives.
Tell him that and I will forgive you.
Please, sit down.
Greed.
Greed.
I was thinking, there's one thing in common with all these Ferguson jobs.
- About their planning and research? - No, no, the trucks.
I thought we discussed the trucks, how they change their signs ten times a week.
I know we discussed it, but they have to have someplace to change them.
A paint shop, garage, warehouse, something.
Well, you know, that's pretty good for a tap dancer.
Come on, let's talk to the Building Department.
- What's this? - It's been checked out, Mike.
Lady named Bonnie Larson dropped it off at the front desk.
Said it was something from her father.
Had to be hand-delivered at 9 sharp.
- Well, what is it? - Something from the kitchen.
- Kolace.
- What? Here.
I'll explain later.
Just read.
"Michael, you are right.
I have been a poor teacher, but I am preparing one last lesson.
" What's he talking about? Read.
"I will need time, but I will not take too long.
One more hour will suffice.
You must proceed as directed and arrive precisely at 10:00.
At that time, I will know to what degree I have failed, and the fate of the Fergusons will then be in your hands.
Your first stop is the newsboy near Geary and Laguna.
" Paper, mister? - Thanks.
- Right, sir.
"It should have taken you ten minutes.
" - It took 12.
- "Your next stop, Kim's Treasure House.
" What is this? A scavenger hunt? Thank you.
Thank you very much.
You know this is crazy, don't you? We're looking for a killer, and he's playing games.
Angus has played games all his life.
Yeah, shell games, con games, but this is something else.
Ferry Building.
Come on.
And he says, "You've got exactly 11 minutes to make it.
" Twenty minutes, Papa.
Thanks.
"Last" Here, come on, read that.
"Last stop, Michael.
You are exactly 15 minutes from the warehouse where we are headquartered.
I have diagrammed a blueprint of the building on the back of this note.
I suggest you radio for assistance.
You will need four black and whites to block vehicle escape routes marked in red on the diagram.
Ten men will be required to cover pedestrian exits, including the roof.
These are marked in yellow.
" Go on, go on.
What about our man? "My son-in-law, Josh Evans, shot the watchman.
Three others planned the robbery with him.
My son Albert and two of my grandsons, James and Jerry.
There will be no shooting this time.
You have my word.
" The word of a Gypsy.
You didn't read between the lines.
He just retired.
- What's the address? - Beach and Garvey.
Beach and Garvey.
All units within vicinity of Beach and Garvey, code 3,000.
I ask you again.
Stop what you're doing.
Albert, James, Jerry, Josh.
Stay with me, and I will stay with you.
We'll confess to the police together, pay our debt together.
I beg you.
Stop what you're planning and stay with me.
That's beautiful, Gramps.
But I think you can stop the con.
We know what we're doing.
All right.
As you will.
Mama? - Where you going? - That no longer concerns you, Josh.
- Any of you.
- That's right.
This is all that concerns you now.
It's all yours.
The trucks, the merchandise, everything.
My boy I give you the business.
Hey, it's okay, Al.
Come on.
After this job, we'll patch things up.
We'll get back together.
You know that.
Give me that bullhorn.
Give me that bullhorn.
This is an arrest.
All exits are covered.
Stay right where you are, and no one will get hurt.
This is an arrest.
All exits are covered.
Al, he set us up.
Stay right where you are.
Stand still.
- You all right? - Yeah.
Yeah.
I guess the old man was right, huh? No guns.
Just the word of a Gypsy.
All right.
You know, from the looks of their books, - they're out of business for good.
- Yep.
- But he got away, the old man.
- Yeah.
Of course he did.
He's a wizard.
- He's a what? - A wizard, buddy boy.
A master of magic.
- Hey.
- Hey.
That's very good.