Starsky and Hutch (1975) s01e12 Episode Script

I'm glad your dad didn't live to see this day.
Billy's gonna be here soon.
- Besides, Father Delacourt isn't here.
- Father Delacourt is a priest.
I'm sorry I'm late.
- Hello, Father.
- I'm sorry I'm late.
Hello, Nancy.
How are you, Mrs.
Blake? Fine.
Well, which one of you is the doomed man? Neither one of us.
I'm Ken Hutchinson.
I'm giving away Nancy.
My partner, David Starsky.
- Partner? - Yeah, we're police officers.
Oh, police officers.
Nancy and I knew each other years ago.
- We lived next door to each other.
- Oh, yes, yes.
I think Mrs.
Blake was telling me something about you before.
Well, now, tell me something.
With you two dressed like that, what's there left for the criminals to wear? - Well, muslin's always nice.
- Muslin.
All right, what do you say we get this show on the road, huh? I don't see how we can start.
The bridegroom isn't here.
- He's not here yet, huh? - Nope.
Not to worry, Mother, I'm sure that Dave would be more than happy to stand in for the lucky man.
- Well, is it all right? - Sure it is.
Look, Nancy, this is nothing but a rehearsal.
When the real day comes, when your young man gets here we'll lock the doors, and he can't get out.
Margaret, are you up there? She's getting a little senile.
A little hard of hearing now.
Margaret! One of you want to go up and tell her this is a wedding, not a funeral, huh? - George One to Headquarters.
Urgent.
- Go ahead, George One.
We got them cold.
They went to work about 10 minutes ago.
Say hello for me.
Come in, Jamieson.
Come in.
Come on, let's go.
Yeah, come on, come on.
Leave that.
Come on, get out of here.
- Come on, let's get moving.
- They didn't get it all.
Look, there was a cop.
I had to kill him.
Look, relax, you worry too much.
I'm late for another appointment anyway.
Margaret! Margaret, you want to try that one more time, please? - Okay.
- Okay.
Okay.
- I wish Billy would get here.
- Oh, he'll make it.
- And what makes you so sure? - Well, look at the prize he's got.
Mrs.
Blake, it's only a rehearsal.
Well, I'm practicing.
- There he is.
- Hey, hey, wait a minute.
Where have you been? - Nobody says "I do" till I do.
- Father, my two favourite men.
- Hey, where are you going? - You wanted to see us? No, I sent for you because I didn't have anything better to do.
Step over here.
You're blocking traffic.
And wipe that smile off your face.
- This is about Ed Jamieson.
- What about him? He was killed yesterday on the docks.
He was? - His wife just had her first kid.
- Yeah.
Jamieson was trying to crack a theft ring on the docks for six months.
He was caught in his surveillance.
Didn't have a chance to draw his weapon.
Just gunned down in cold blood.
I want you two to see if you can pick up the pieces.
I made an appointment for you with the chief of security for the Port Authority.
- His name is - Andy Wilkins.
- You know him? - Yeah.
- How? - I grew up with his secretary.
- Well, who is she? - Nancy.
- Jamieson have any leads on this ring? - Not quite.
One interesting item.
He wrote this name down, apparently the day he died: Ted Banks.
He's a forklift operator in the Pier 6 area.
Now, how he figures in this is what we don't know.
- Well, we'll check it out.
- Okay.
- Hey, Hutch.
- Hey, Billy.
- How you doing? - Good.
You? - Billy, I didn't know you worked here.
- Oh yeah, sure, sure.
- What are you guys doing down here? - We're down here on business.
No, thanks.
Oh, about that cop who got killed yesterday, huh? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
- That's a bad scene.
- Maybe you can help us.
We're looking for a forklift operator by the name of Ted Banks.
Oh, Teddy.
Teddy, yeah.
Yeah, sure, I know him.
- What do you want with him? - Ask some questions.
Do you know where he is? Let me have a look around, see if he's in today.
Thanks, Billy.
Hey, Billy, don't forget, And don't be late, or I'm gonna substitute for real.
Not a chance.
- Hi.
- Well, hello, you two.
- You look familiar.
Don't I know you? - I think so.
- Is your boss in? - Yeah.
He asked if you wouldn't mind waiting.
Jerry Green, the security guard on duty yesterday, he's on his way.
- Good.
- Good.
Listen, Rick, we got the big score coming down on Saturday.
Any other cops, it wouldn't make any difference.
These guys know Nancy.
They know me.
If they put two and two together the fact that the robberies began after I started dating Nancy Look, Nancy doesn't have any idea that you're getting the cargo information through her.
- How will they find out? - Nancy's in love with me.
They aren't.
Listen, Rick, they're good cops.
We're talking about a million and a half dollars.
You've already burned one cop.
We can't stop now.
They're getting close to Nancy.
The closer they get to her, the closer they get to me and you.
They already know about Ted Banks.
So he's become expendable.
Using Ted, I say we kill two birds with one stone.
- Go on, Jerry, give us the rest of it.
- I was hit from behind.
When I came to, I was bound and gagged.
They had put patches over my eyes.
- Jerry, were you able to hear anything? - There were three or four voices.
And I think they were using a forklift.
- I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
- Hey, you did just fine.
- I want you to take a few days off.
- Thanks, Mr.
Wilkins.
I could use them.
- Well, what do you think? - I don't know.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this, but up until six months ago the thefts here were within what the insurance companies call an "acceptable loss.
" You know, a carton of this here, a pallet of that there.
But since then it's become very selective, very organized.
I don't think your age has anything to do with that.
I think you've been dealing with a crack professional ring.
I don't know.
They seem to know exactly when valuable cargo is due in and which docks it's arriving at.
Well that's our next question.
Who would have access to this kind of information? Ourselves, customs, of course, shippers and I suppose a lot of the longshoremen through the grapevine.
Sounds like one hell of a grapevine.
We should've started with who doesn't know the cargo.
- Thanks, Mr.
Wilkins.
We'll talk later.
- Take care.
I got a hunch that we are gonna come up with a big fat zero at customs.
You're building up to a suggestion.
The last thing that that gang ripped off was 9000 Japanese cameras.
- What does that make you think of? - 3000 Japanese tourists.
How about a fence big enough to handle them? - How about Ezra Beame? - How about Ezra Beame? Catch him? Yeah, he promised to meet us here in five minutes.
Very funny.
- Are you all right? - Yeah, we're all right.
Easy for him to say.
He almost took my shoulder off pushing me out of the way.
Have you considered the possibility that your priorities in life are all screwed up? - You guys all right? - Yeah.
We'll feel better when we find out who was driving that truck.
- Oh, yeah, well Did you see him, Billy? Well, I hate to tell you, but that was the guy you were looking for.
Ted Banks.
Like we expected Banks to be here.
Never underestimate the basic stupidity of the criminal mind.
Japanese cameras.
It looks like he took a few of the samples with him.
We ought to get the crime lab up here and check it out.
Pay a visit to Ezra, find out what happened to the rest of them.
- Coming? - Yeah, sure.
After you.
- No, go ahead.
- Please, be my guest.
Some other time.
Chicken.
Starsky, Hutch.
- Ezra? - Enter the portals of the netherworld.
One hell of a scene, huh? Oh, yeah, terrific.
How do you like the way I converted the old pad? Yeah, it's real nice.
You got a lot of class, Ezra.
Who's your decorator, Vincent Price? Go on, you're putting me on.
You're putting me on.
Listen, I laugh all the way to the bank.
Demonology and devil worship, man.
That's the newest fad.
It's legal and tax-deductible.
These nuts and kooks all wanna be sorcerers and pay for the privilege.
I told you we were in the wrong business.
We got a lot of broads, too, who want to be witches.
Interested in joining my congregation? What we're interested in is your preferred trade.
You know what we're talking about.
Fencing stolen goods.
Come on, man, this is a house of worship.
Yeah, Hutch, be sensitive.
It's this way, Ezra.
You don't give us the information we want we're gonna break your spooky organ.
Come on, you guys, would I risk all of this just for the sake of making a few bucks as a fence? - Come on, I'm legit.
I'm clean.
- I almost believe him.
- I'm telling the truth.
- Let's hope so, Ezra.
Nine thousand Japanese cameras that hit the docks yesterday.
We wanna know where they are today.
Now, you remember you owe us.
Last time, I let you off because you ratted on your friends.
Oh, no, not ratted.
He turned state's evidence.
A man of the cloth would never be as uncouth as to rat on anybody.
Oh, that's right, but somehow I think the guys he dumped on don't care what you call it, if they were to find out.
Look, I'll make some inquiries.
All right? All right? You boys don't trust me anymore since I turned legit, but I'll see what I can do.
We'd be grateful if you did that, Ezra.
What do you mean, the deal's off? Like I told you, I'm pulling out of this one.
Fence the cameras somewhere else.
I don't have time to look for another connection.
Starsky and Hutch just left here, and they didn't believe a word I said.
- I'm out of this one.
- You're out of the big score.
Hey, man, don't make threats you can't back up.
I planned the big score.
Without my inside man, you got nothing.
Eat the cameras.
I'll see you on Saturday.
I've already got the million and a half.
All right, we'll play it your way.
Now, there's stew and then there's stew, but this is stew.
You know, Ken used to live right next door to us Back East.
After Mr.
Blake died, sometimes I don't know what we'd have done without him.
He became a real big brother for Nancy.
He's a good boy.
But then you being his partner, you know that.
Well, he's okay.
Is that Billy here yet? The apartment's not that big.
You'd see him if he was.
I thought maybe he was outside or something.
Dinner's ready.
I think David and Ken would like to eat.
- Oh, no, that's okay.
- Let's wait another 10 minutes and if he's not here we can start.
- Will you stop drooling? - I'm hungry.
You're embarrassing.
I know he's Catholic and all, but I can't help worrying.
David, bring over the stew.
Will you, dear? That Billy, what do we know about him anyway? Nancy only met him five or six months ago.
Oh, don't you worry, Mrs.
Blake, if Nancy picked him, he can't be bad.
What do you know? David, what do you think? I'm probably not the best judge.
No, you seem like a young man of great understanding to me.
Are you Catholic? - Mother.
- Just a little question.
No, Mrs.
Blake, I'm afraid I'm not.
Well, Mr.
Blake wasn't either when I first met him.
She never gives up, does she? Let's not wait any longer.
Everybody sit down.
I'm hungry, man.
- Hello? Who? - Starsky.
Starsky, it's for you.
Why don't they ever ask for you when I'm about to eat? - Well, let's not wait and let it get cold.
- Starsky.
I hear you guys are looking for me.
That depends on who you are.
Ted Banks.
A friend of mine told me you guys were cool.
We got a lot of questions we want to ask.
Well, I got some answers.
Look, you guys get over to apartment 3-B, but fast because you ain't the only guys that are looking for me.
- Hutch.
- Have some more.
- No, no, thank you, I'm fine.
- That was Ted Banks.
He wants a meet.
- When? - Now.
I'm sorry, we're gonna have to go.
It's an emergency.
- I'll pack you some.
- No, there's no time.
Say hello to Billy for us.
Let's go.
Forget it.
Next time I'm gonna keep nibbling.
You hear me? You answer the phone.
- Goodbye.
- Sorry.
Here.
Banks? - Banks? - Starsky, the window.
- Ted, who did this to you? - It's because of the score.
- What score? - I knew about the score.
What score? Now, take it easy, take it easy.
Help's on its way.
What score? It's hitting the docks on Saturday.
Yeah, I need an ambulance at 712 S.
Williams Blvd.
What's hitting the docks? In a steel box.
Ted.
Ted, who did this to you? No, I got all the information I need.
If I need more, I'll call you.
Thank you.
- Yeah, fine.
We'll see you then.
- Starsky? It was Wilkins.
He'll meet us at the Port Authority in the morning.
Good.
According to the manager, Banks' father owns this apartment.
He works as a dishwasher down at a cafeteria on Third.
- Just have to go see him then.
- Yeah.
- Let's go.
- Wait a sec.
Hutch, that guy we saw running from here Yeah? it could be Billy.
Sure, or 20,000 other guys that fit a general description.
Twenty thousand other guys aren't dating Nancy.
Look, listen for a second, just one second.
Nancy is the secretary for the head of security at the Port Authority.
Right? If you were planning to rip off cargo, you couldn't ask for a better source.
- Are you saying that she's involved? - No, I can't believe that.
- Her mother wouldn't let her.
- Right.
But that doesn't mean that charming Billy couldn't be using her.
Hutch, you gotta consider the possibility.
That gang started operating the same time that Billy and Nancy started to date.
Right? I mean - What do you know about them? - I've known Nancy since she was a kid.
Okay, kids grow up.
And up until a month ago when she called you you hadn't heard from her in a long time.
And as far as Billy Desmond goes, you don't know him at all.
This is the way Billy folds his gum wrappers.
- So? - So at the time I didn't put it together but I saw gum wrappers folded exactly like that in Banks' apartment.
Starsky, it doesn't make any sense.
Andy Wilkins isn't a stupid man.
He would have checked out anybody dating Nancy.
Yeah, maybe he did, and maybe he didn't but all I'm saying is that we check it out for ourselves.
You know something, sometimes you have the most irritating quality.
How do you think I feel? She's your friend.
Did you have R & I check out Billy Desmond? You don't think I'd do something like that without talking to you? When did they say they'd have the report? Well, since he's from out of town, maybe tomorrow.
Yeah.
Mr.
Banks? - Banks? - Yeah.
- It's about your son.
- What about him? He in trouble again? Mr.
Banks, your son is dead.
- You guys wouldn't kid me, would you? - No, sir.
He was murdered.
You guys know who did it? We were hoping you could help us.
We think your son was involved with a gang of thieves working the docks.
His shoes.
Did he have on my brown shoes? I think you're gonna have to speak to the coroner about that.
He asked me He asked me if he could borrow them.
- I paid $32 for those shoes last week.
- Mr.
Banks if he was wearing the shoes, I'm sure you can get them.
I don't wanna change the subject, Mr.
Banks but did your son talk to you about the people he knew down at the docks? They're bums, all of them.
I used to tell him, I said: "You don't go to school, you're gonna wind up dead.
" - He'd never listen.
- Mr.
Banks.
Bums, bums.
Especially that guy that was always telling Teddy he was gonna make him rich.
He's rich, all right.
What's his name? He works in some store down there.
He runs a store.
- They sell a lot of ship stuff.
- Ship's chandlers? Ship's chandlers, yeah.
Is that what you call it? You gonna be okay? I want my shoes.
"There was a long, difficult struggle and Steve almost quit because he was playing behind Vince" What's this? Some Italian name.
Zebra Three, Zebra Three, this is Captain Dobey.
Come in, please.
- Zebra Three here.
What is it? - I have your R & I read-back on William Michael Desmond from the state of Illinois.
- Yeah, what you got? - Quite a bit.
In order: 1965, Desmond became the youngest Eagle Scout in the state.
The same year he graduated from high school.
And then he has a change here.
He spent two years at the university, straight-A student, then dropped out.
Out of the university and out of sight.
How long? How long was he out of sight? Let's see, he surfaces again in 1970.
He was convicted of two counts of armed robbery.
Served 26 months in the State of Illinois Prison.
- Hi, Billy.
- Hey, how you doing? Our friend Wally here is a little worried.
- Worried? - I don't know.
Ripping off cargo is one thing, but a cop was killed last time.
Now you're asking us to do armed robbery in broad daylight.
And to split $300,000 apiece.
That's a lot of money, gentlemen.
I wouldn't want to jump to any conclusions, Wally but it should be enough to keep you in beer and girlie magazines for life.
You make it sound easy, like with those cameras but you couldn't unload them either.
Man, those people Saturday are gonna be well guarded.
Remember, I told you our friend Mr.
Ezra Beame had an ace in the hole? So? You are looking at the guy who will be delivering the diamonds.
Now, this is Hans Skyler, vice president of Van der Meer and Bruin diamond merchants of Antwerp or, to coin a phrase, our inside man.
- He's with us? - Bought, paid for and come Saturday, delivered.
Starsky and Hutch.
Hi, how are you doing? Just about made it under the wire, gentlemen.
We close at 6:30.
What can I do for you? We're just checking the shops in the area.
Mind if we look around? No, not at all.
- What are you looking for? - Cameras.
Japanese.
I've got some sextants on sale.
German.
A good buy.
I'll see your dime and raise you a quarter.
Well, when my yacht comes in, I'll think sextant.
- You mind? - Be my guest.
Didn't I see this in a Gene Autry Western? The bad guys stop playing cards as the lawmen come in? Yeah.
Run for the hills, high rollers, it's a raid.
The boys gather here for a little rest and relaxation when there's a break in work.
Yeah, I bet they do.
You guys want to see me? We were wondering about your police record, Billy.
A if you've told Nancy.
B, if you're gonna change your ways.
Yeah.
Yeah, I told her.
It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.
I told her I'd made some mistakes.
That's all in the past now.
I wish I could believe you but suddenly, something about you makes my skin crawl.
Don't you guys know that gambling's illegal? All right.
They're getting too close.
This time we can't afford to miss.
Of the seven ships due to arrive on Saturday only these three are carrying valuable, easily transportable cargo.
Would any of these have their cargo in steel boxes? Not that I know of.
I'm going through all these manifests again but I'm almost positive there's nothing.
Banks said it's going to arrive in a steel box? Yeah.
I can't for the life of me think of what it is.
I got a feeling if we haven't already changed their minds for them we'll find out on Saturday.
We'll make the arrangements to cover the three ships.
Just the possibility of cleaning up this mess makes me feel a lot What do you think you're doing? Excuse me.
Nancy, I've got to talk to you.
You've done enough talking.
Billy just told me what you said.
- Listen to me.
- I don't want to listen to you! I came to tell you to stay away from me and Billy from my house and the church tomorrow.
- I'll find someone else to give me away.
- All right.
All right, you find somebody else to give you away but I don't think Billy will be there to receive you.
Anybody ever tell you you got a terrific way with women? And you, you stay away from my mother.
All ashore that's going ashore.
- I wish she hadn't done that.
- Yeah.
Well, buddy, what do you want to do now? Let's see how we're gonna stake this place out.
Good idea.
Hey, you know what movie this place reminds me of? - No.
What? - I don't remember the title but it had something to do with the docks.
- Docks, huh? - Yeah.
You know, it was about a guy who was smuggling in elephants from Africa.
Yeah.
- It's called - Giveaway on the Docks? Close.
Hold or I'll fire! Hutch, where are you? Hutch.
Oh, no.
Hey, Hutch.
Hutch, you down there, huh? Hutch.
Damned water's so cold, probably catch pneumonia.
Hutch! Starsky, what are you doing down there? Just taking a swim.
How did you get up there? I flew.
Hurry up and get out of there, I'm freezing.
Gesundheit.
Excuse me, captain.
All right, let's go over this again.
The Suma Maru, due in at Pier 6.
Jade figurines, et cetera.
The Lindero coming into Pier 12 with Swiss watches.
And the Star of Ceylon scheduled for Pier 32 with a shipment of antiques.
- Okay then, that's three piers to cover.
- Right.
We'll stake out the piers and have backup units cruise the area.
By the way, how's Starsky? He'll make the stakeout.
He wouldn't miss it.
Tell him I said to drink a bottle of castor oil.
It'll make him feel fine.
Talk to you later, captain.
I don't know what's so funny.
You could have answered me when I yelled.
I didn't have to dive into that ocean.
You know I hate the water.
I didn't hesitate when I pushed you out of the way of that truck.
Yeah, you didn't catch pneumonia either.
- Hey, Huggy.
- Hey, what's happening? - Take a look.
- I heard.
But don't turn your toes up yet, Starsky.
Dr.
Huggy Bear is on tour with the cure.
- You got a bowl and a spoon? - Sure.
Mustard-green broth.
It ain't chicken soup, Starsky but where I come from, it's just as effective.
- There you go.
- Come on, spoon it, Starsky.
Get it in your stomach and feel strength and vigour course through your body.
Just so long as it gets me on my feet by tomorrow.
You know, I got a temperature thanks to you.
I'm dying.
- Hey, Smitty.
- How's it going? Hey.
I have a feeling they won't make a move till after dark.
Oh, well, maybe, maybe not.
So far these guys aren't your basic careful crooks.
- They take chances.
- Hey, Smitty, let me see those.
- Hey, Starsky.
- What? You got something? - Ted Banks' steel box - What are you talking about? - It's an armoured car.
Let's go.
- No.
Okay.
Hey.
- Very smooth.
I'll meet you at Beame's.
- Don't count on it.
- What'd you do that for? - Shut up.
I must I must I must get my briefcase.
Get an ambulance, will you? Sit down.
You're gonna be okay.
What are you talking about? Come on, what did you have in that briefcase? No.
- What you got? - A briefcase.
We're gonna find out one way or the other.
Huh? Who are you? Precious stones.
Three million dollars.
Diamonds, rubies.
What difference does it make? I was a fool.
- I was a fool to trust - Trust who? - Who? That's right.
Who? Trust who? - The devil.
- Who? - The devil.
The devil.
The devil.
Take care of that man.
- How did it go? - Cops all over the place including Hutch and Starsky.
And you came back here? This is liable to be the first place they come looking for you.
Then we haven't got much time, have we, Ezra? Get the money, will you? Three million in stones.
Ezra's gonna give us a million and a half.
Why don't we keep it all? Nobody would do business with us again.
What? Are you really planning on sticking around town after this? Look, as close as Starsky and Hutch was it was risky enough going ahead with this job at all.
What about the girl? Well, the wedding's at 1:00.
I think by 2 she should get the idea I'm not coming.
Where's Skyler? I don't know.
I think he's got other things on his mind right now.
- Don't shoot, don't shoot, don't shoot.
- Cover me.
Don't shoot, don't shoot, don't shoot, don't shoot.
Don't shoot, don't shoot.
Okay, okay.
I've had enough.
Give me a reason.
Spread them out.
Well, looks like I'm gonna be late again, huh? Looks like it, Billy boy.
I feel so used.
I must have been such a fool to love someone who just didn't even care.
Let me tell you something, Nancy from what we know, there was a time when the other members of Billy's gang wanted to kill you.
He wouldn't let them do it.
He started out to use you and then in his own way, and I guess as much as he was capable of he fell in love with you too.
He was running away from me.
Maybe it was the nicest thing he could do for you.
That's a fine thing your partner's doing.
He lies very well.
- You can tell Ken is not Catholic.
- Why? Because he can lie? Mrs.
Blake, Billy's a Catholic.
Don't tell me you're gonna believe the likes of him.
Come on, we got a lot of this to use up.
- Everything's gonna be all right.
- That's fine for you to say.
You don't have a spinster daughter left on your hands.
Or a prospective son-in-law who refuses to take convert lessons.
- Mother.
- All these long, sad faces around here.
I paid $140 for that cake.
Maybe Maybe it can give us some laughs.
- Mother.
- Mrs.
Blake.
Well, people always laughed when the Three Stooges did it.
Okay.
Oh, no, no, Starsky, you can't do that to this nice, dear, sweet lady.
That's right.