Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (1976) s01e14 Episode Script

Last on "Rich Man, Poor Man - Book ll": - Hello, Kate.
- Rudy.
Kate, I know who killed Dwyer.
- Same guy who murdered my father.
- Falconetti? - What is it? What have you done? - I need $5,000.
After three years of frustration, I'm on the verge of getting something accomplished.
This investigation? Bribery and payoffs in the Justice Department.
I think I can blow the lid off.
A man turned up at my place half an hour ago, from Jordache's committee.
- What did he want? - He served me with a subpoena.
(Claire) Charles! - What's going on? - Mr Estep? Who is this? And what the hell is this? A subpoena for your wife.
And one for you.
We now own the record company.
The fee's a minor consideration.
The real reason you and Annie Adams are going to Dallas is to meet some people.
What kind of people? This Falconetti.
Did you do what I told you to do? We've arranged to get him out of town.
You went through my drawer? You went through my drawer? - Anthony's gone.
- Where? - Las Vegas.
- I'll pass along your message.
- Where are you going? - West.
A ticket to Las Vegas.
- Round trip or one-way? - One-way.
(phone rings) (ringing) Hello? Yes, speaking.
Yes, Lieutenant.
When? No trace of him at all? What about his sister Maria? Is she any help? No, I didn't think she would be.
Look, uh Lieutenant, I wanna know anything you come up with.
Yes, I will.
Thanks for the call.
- Was that about Wes? - No, uh I'm sorry if the phone woke you.
- It's not meant to ring in the guest room.
- It didn't.
Well, already off and running? I have to fly to Virginia for a meeting with Senator Paxton.
- Well, what's the day like? - Hectic.
I meant, how does it look? Like, is it sunny outside? Cloudy? Chance of rain? I haven't had time to notice.
I suppose, if it was any of my business, you'd tell me what that phone call meant and why it upset you.
It was from a Lieutenant Calvo of the Hoboken police.
Falconetti jumped bail.
There's a warrant out for him, but at the moment the police have absolutely no idea where he is.
- Do you have any idea? - I'm gonna call the local police, see if they can keep an eye on the house while I'm gone.
- He'd come here? - He's been in Whitby before.
He took a shot at Wesley and me.
He just might wanna see if his aim's improved.
Maybe I can postpone my meeting with Paxton.
Don't.
Not on my account.
Kate, I don't want you here alone.
Falconetti's already taken someone close to both of us.
I am not going to give him another chance.
All right.
If it'll make you feel any better, I will go directly to my room, push the dresser in front of the door, pull down the shade and spend the rest of my time hiding under the bed.
Falconetti isn't a joke.
He's not going to go away just because we ignore him.
OK.
Um Call the police.
I'll stay in the house.
It's just that I don't like hiding, especially from him.
- What? - Nothing.
- Rudy - It's just, uh I'm wondering if there's a connection between Falconetti's disappearance and Wesley's sudden departure.
Wait here.
Mr Martinelli.
I'm trying to find Maria Falconetti.
She moved out of her apartment, left no forwarding address.
Know where she is? If I did, do you think I'd be fooling around with these invoices? On a machine that can't add as well as my nine-year-old grandson? - She must have told you something.
- Well When she didn't show up for work, I called her place.
The phone was disconnected.
Now you know as much as I do.
I'm trying to find Maria's brother, Anthony.
That's what started all this.
First the cops, then you.
"Where's your brother? When did you see him last?" Till you got her so nervous, she can't even add a simple column of figures! Get in touch with me if you hear from her.
I won't hear from her.
You guys saw to that.
You cost me a good bookkeeper! And another thing.
I'm sorry I voted for you! (driver starts engine) Kennedy.
Stow the bag for me, will ya? Thank you.
Let me have five of those silver ones, will ya? Would you like a drink, sir? Yeah.
How about a How about a bourbon on the rocks, huh? Thanks.
Let me have a card.
Gimme another one.
That's too much.
- Here you are, sir.
- Thank you.
What do I owe ya? - The drink's complimentary, sir.
- Is that right? Well, isn't that friendly.
Thank you.
- Here, darlir.
- Thank you, sir.
Oh, miss? Where would I find Al Barber? He's got something to do with Security.
The Security office is through the lobby and past the registration desk.
Over here? Uh Say, what time do you get off? I'm sorry, sir.
We're not allowed to go out with the customers.
Well, aren't you fortunate.
You see, I'm gonna be working here.
- Doing what? - I'm going to be in management.
And, uh Tell you what.
Maybe I can maybe I can put in a word for ya, huh? - I get off at two.
- Well, I'll be back.
2am? I'm kind of a night owl.
I'll see ya.
(phone buzzes) Yeah? Get him in here.
Al? Al Barber? Where in the hell have you been? Your plane landed two hours ago.
Hey, look.
It's my first time in Las Vegas.
I had to kind of feel my way around.
- I got orders to put you in cold storage.
- Uh-huh - Well, uh who gave you those orders? - You are new in Vegas.
You don't ask those kind of questions.
You see, I have, um I have some very important people looking out for me.
I know.
And, um, what they really want for me is to be they want me to be fat and happy.
So the way I got it figured is, your job is to see that I don't have any complaints.
Know what I mean? Hm? Well, it sounds like you've got it all figured out.
It's not difficult when you got the heavy juice I was a cop for 18 years.
I used to spit on big, dumb creeps like you! That's why you're here.
You did something dumb in Hoboken.
You need somebody to keep you out of the frying pan.
Well, I'm that somebody.
Without me in your corner, you get thrown to the wolves.
So the first thing you gotta learn is not to tee me off.
Crawl over here.
I said crawl! You wanna see me crawl? Watch.
D'you like it? Huh? Make you feel good? Yeah.
Your name's Bill Fallon.
You're a security guard here.
You don't leave this hotel unless you check with me first.
You understand? Yes, sir.
Now go get a uniform and report back to me.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, I hear what you're saying, Rudy, but I don't like it.
Not one bit.
We can't nail Estep without Franklirs testimony.
He won't go near that committee unless he gets total immunity.
I never did buy that concept of justice - rewarding an admitted criminal with his freedom.
No, that sticks in my throat.
And so far you haven't said anything to make me swallow it.
(helicopter approaching) - Who's paying for that thing? - I thought it was a minor expense - to keep Franklin alive.
- Oh.
- Senator.
- John Franklin, Senator Paxton.
- Hello, Senator.
- This way, gentlemen.
Senator Jordache tells me you have evidence that could link Charles Estep to corruption in the Justice Department.
Before we discuss that, there are some minor details I'd like to iron out.
And you want us to help you wriggle off the hook, eh? I want you to help me find the courage to perform a public service.
If you ever give up informing, Mr Franklin, I can get you a job writing press releases for the CIA.
In here.
- Let's see what you have.
- Of course.
As long as I retain this evidence until my immunity is worked out.
Can we stop haggling long enough to see if there's anything to haggle over? These memos direct me to open Swiss accounts for various members of the Justice Department.
There are names, dates and amounts - all signed in Charles Estep's majestic scrawl.
I'm not peddling pipe dreams here.
With those, you can put Charles in prison for bribery.
- What about murder? - Might be a little more difficult.
Estep forced a strike against my electronics plant.
That's correct.
The president of the local union, John Scott, disappeared.
- Did Estep have anything to do with it? - He gave the order.
What happened to Scotty? Unfortunately, he's residing in a Mafia burial ground in Upper New York.
Maybe you're beginning to understand why this immunity is so important to me.
Where did Estep get the money to launch Tricorp? - It's got nothing to do with this.
- Was it through Albert Dietrich? I told you at our first meeting, I'm not prepared to go into this area.
Before Estep married Claire West, he was her legal guardian.
You were the bank officer in charge of her estate.
Her parents were killed in an automobile accident.
That's public record.
There's only one problem with it.
There's absolutely no record of Claire's parents before they supposedly died in that accident.
Senator, you're about to lose your only friendly witness.
You're overlooking something.
You've haven't been subpoenaed yet.
We've served every one of Estep's top men except you.
How do you think that's gonna look to him? Maybe he'll begin to think you don't have to be subpoenaed, Mr Franklin, because you're gonna testify voluntarily.
Albert Dietrich.
When I get my subpoena.
I just don't understand it.
He talks freely about bribery and murder, but when I mention Albert Dietrich, I can smell blind fear across the room.
Maybe Dietrich is the biggest fish of all.
(TV) The 49ers defeated the New York Jets today 26 to 10, and it was St Louis 41, Washington Redskins 14.
Those are both finals.
And a half-time score, the New Orleans Saints lead the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 10 to 6.
Dallas ball, first down and ten yards to go, from their own 22-yard line How you can sit here watching a football game The Cowboys have the makings of a first-class team - if they'd just get rid of Landry and Meredith.
- Charles - Did you see that? I don't believe it.
Landry sends Meredith in to pass on first down, Vikings intercept.
I'd have thought there were more important things to occupy you.
Never were much for football, were you? Have you asked yourself why Jordache subpoenaed Claire? Yes, Raymond, I have.
And did you come to the conclusion that it was because he knows about her father? - All right, come on.
Sack him! - Charles! This Dietrich thing can blow up in our faces.
Not if you're right about the senator's stepson.
You don't even know if Abbott'll go along with you.
- I'll have a fair idea by tonight.
- But there are records in Washington.
- All Jordache has to do is look.
- Are you gonna tell him where to look? - Are you crazy? - Do you think I will? - It's not us I'm concerned with.
- Claire'll be just fine.
Would you, please? I was the immigration officer that allowed her into the country.
- I falsified records.
- You were well paid for that, too.
That's not gonna do me much good in prison! Don't talk to me about prison.
I have considerably more at stake than you do, and if I can keep from falling apart, the very least you could do is make an effort to do the same thing.
Claire needs strength right now.
She needs to be surrounded by people who are not wringing their hands and whining about how frightened they are.
Yes, Raymond, you're right.
Claire is the key.
At least you have the presence of mind to realise that.
(sighs) - Who's winning? - We're down by ten points.
- How much time left? - Third quarter.
- That's enough time.
- Come on.
Watch the rest of the game.
We've got time before dinner.
- Charles? - Mm-hm? I was wondering Perhaps I'd better not go tonight.
Why not? Well, I've got a lot of last-minute things to do.
What last-minute things? That vacation you suggested I take I think you were right.
I suggested that before you got the subpoena.
- I think it's an excellent idea - Shut up! The travel agent found a lovely villa in Rome.
- I told her to rent it for a month.
- I see.
Tell me (switches off TV) Do you really think this is gonna blow over in a month? I'm taking the morning plane to New York.
You run away from that subpoena, they won't let you back in this country until you tell them everything they wanna know.
Do you understand what that could do to me? I told you, I'm making my own decisions now.
You're not making decisions.
You're not thinking.
You're reacting like a spoilt child! - You're gonna go to Washington - No.
- Yes! And you are gonna testify - No! Yes! And if the name Albert Dietrich comes up, - you'll say you've never heard of him.
- It'll come out.
You can't stop it! There is nothing to Claire, I'm sorry.
Truly.
What were you saying, Charles, about, uh Claire being the key? (# "You've Made Me So Very Happy") Thank you, gentlemen.
- That was lovely.
- Thank you.
(woman) Quite a talented young lady.
Although I can't really be sure if I enjoy today's music.
- Kind of raucous, to my way of thinking.
- Yeah, well, at least it keeps you awake.
(polite laughter) This is the weirdest gig I've ever played.
It's not the quantity of the audience.
It's the quality of the appreciation.
OK, so you appreciated.
But wouldn't it have been a little simpler just to come to one of my concerts? The governor had his fill of crowds when he was in office.
Did he really pay $75,000 just to hear me sing? - No.
- I didn't think so.
I did.
Really? And it didn't begin to cover the enjoyment that you've given me.
Uh You oughta have your own act.
You lay out some pretty heavy sounds.
Beatrice, why don't you show Miss Adams the rest of the house? - Of course.
- Why, yes.
- I do hope Claire will feel better.
- Just a touch of the flu.
This way.
I work for you.
That's it? I own a controlling interest in Greenway Records.
I keep it in the black, nobody bothers me.
That's the deal I accepted from Vincent.
Your stepfather has forced me to alter that deal.
What's Rudy got to do with this? It'll be all over the front pages in a few days.
He's launching a Senate investigation against me.
- So? - Your stepfather is out to destroy me.
- If he succeeds, you'll be destroyed too.
- How do you figure that? I'll see to it.
Mr Estep, if you've got a bottom line, you'd better reach it.
I need to know what information he has, and who's giving it to him.
- You want me to spy on my stepfather? - I want a chance to defend myself.
I'll tell Annie how much you liked her.
Maybe she'll send you an autographed picture.
Billy, don't throw away everything you've worked for.
- I'm not.
- Yes, you are.
I can read you, Billy Abbott.
I can look into your eyes and see into your guts.
There's something churning around down there, and it never stops.
It never gives you any rest.
Ambition.
It eats away at you, doesn't it? Cos you want all those things that will make you stop hurting.
I know.
I've been there myself.
When you when you make peace with it, understand it for what it really is Ah, that's a wonderful feeling.
Almost serene.
Do you really care what happens in a stuffy Senate hearing room? I care what happens to Rudy.
A minor setback.
He'll survive.
Probably end up being president of the United States, if he wants it.
You can have anything, Billy.
For yourself, or Miss Adams.
Anything.
Well, there's not much I can really say to that.
Except go to hell.
This is the best offer you can get? You wanna sell that electronics plant right away, you're only gonna get a fraction of what it's won'th.
- Close the deal.
- Can I give you a little advice? Hold out a little longer.
Let me try to get a better offer.
When the hearings start, I don't want anyone screaming, "Conflict of interest.
" I wanna be absolutely clean.
That's a $2.
5 million bath you're taking, Senator.
Well, if I can nail Estep, it's won'th it.
Let me ask you, what do you hope to accomplish from these hearings? Ultimately.
I mean, will you wipe out crime and corruption? Get laws passed we don't already have? - Make Estep pay for what he's done? - Damn right.
By putting him in prison.
For how long? With good behaviour and all that political clout he's bought, 18 months, two years and then he'll be back on the street doing exactly what he's been doing.
You have been through this thing with me every step of the way.
- How can you say it's pointless? - Because it won't change anything, Rudy! You're gonna spend how many months running yourself ragged, working 24 hours a day for what? To take 18 months out of Charles Estep's life? - What are you saying? Give it up? - No! I'm not saying give it up.
Fine.
Get Charles Estep for whatever you can.
But please be realistic about it.
You are not going to change the face of the earth by convicting Estep of bribing a few miserable Justice Department lawyers.
Thank you for your advice, Miss Porter.
I'll put it on your bill.
Hey.
Let's hold it.
I think this conversatiors gotten away from us.
- You staying in town tonight? - I can't.
- Going back to Washington? - Whitby.
I see.
What? - Is Kate still there? - Yes.
- Wasrt she going back to Colorado? - No, not yet.
When? She hasn't decided yet.
Why? Just curious.
- Is that what's underneath all this? Kate? - Come on! How do you expect me to feel? We spend 15 minutes going over the sale of your plant, and you go home to her! She is a guest in my house.
- She also happens to be my sister-in-law.
- Is that all she is to you? What do you want? A deposition that I have no romantic interest? No! I would just like to spend as much time with you as she does.
I thought our relationship had more going for it than that! Than what - a little honest jealousy? At least I'm honest.
I can live with half the pie - Washington and me.
But the pieces keep getting smaller.
Now it's Washington, Kate and me.
And what really hurts is you don't seem to mind.
No.
Not after a conversation like this.
I'll wrap up the sale of the plant tomorrow, as my last official act as your attorney.
That way we'll have no excuse to see one another.
If we do, it'll be because we want to.
I don't know why they haven't arrived.
Look, you're not the only store.
Nobody is getting any Greenway stuff.
What do you mean, sabotage? Why would I sabotage my own company? If you guys don't get the records to sell, nobody makes any money.
Gus Gus, it is just a temporary foul-up.
Right.
(phone buzzes) Yeah? Look, just tell him it's a foul-up, temporary, with the distributor.
What the hell is going on around here? Who is this clown? - I wanna talk to you.
- Any time.
He pulled the plug on my new album right in the middle of the new song.
Sent the musicians home and shut down the studio.
- Management decision.
- You're management! - Who is he, Billy? - Take it easy.
I have got to cut a follow-up album.
You said so yourself.
Gotta cash in on the first one.
I'm number ten and climbing, right? - Have you checked today's sales? - What does he mean? Are album sales dropping? They'll be platinum in a month, baby.
- Then why did he blow my session? - Come down off the ceiling and listen.
- It is just a temporary foul-up, that's all.
- How temporary? You go home and get some rest.
I'll call you in an hour.
- Billy - I'll call you in an hour, after I've set up another session.
(Annie sighs) There's no problem, is there, Billy? Your only problem is how to spend your royalty cheque on your new album.
Now get outta here.
And when you get back into that studio, I want you to rip it apart! The man who used to own this company had an expression for people like you.
- Really? - Yeah.
Schmutz.
I'm not Annie.
I don't get hysterical.
That's a relief.
Hysterical people frighten me.
Never know what they're gonna do.
You shut off Greenway's distribution? The gentleman who controls Greenway also controls your distributor.
Mr Estep.
Apparently your meeting with him didn't go very well.
I'll take you and your boss to court.
I'll force you to distribute our records.
We're sending the distributing company into bankruptcy.
It'll take six months to a year to sort everything out.
Of course, we'll make every good effort to find another distributor for Greenway.
- But you won't succeed.
- Of course not.
(sighs) So I'm sitting on a record company that can't distribute its records? - That's about the size of it.
- You make a terrific team.
Estep dangles the carrots in front of me, you beat me over the head with the stick.
- You should have taken the carrot.
- Yeah? Well, it was nice working for you.
Miss Adams could have gone a long way.
It's a shame she'll disappear from the scene.
- She won't.
- One album doesn't make her career.
- There'll be others.
- Not for her.
Read her contract.
We have her for seven years.
She'll never make another record.
- Contracts were made to be broken.
- Go ahead.
We can drag it through the courts for two or three years.
In the record business, that's a lifetime.
Poor Miss Adams.
Her one album, an oldie but goodie on the shelf.
You son of a Abbott, take the carrot.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Thought I'd, uh drop by, see how you were.
Oh.
Come in.
(rock music on stereo) I thought maybe you'd heard something.
No.
(sighs) Well, he'll be back soon.
(switches off stereo) Ramona, if your father were alive, we would have heard from him by now.
He is alive.
I liked your father very much.
I admired him.
I respected him.
I don't wanna believe that he's gone, but I have to.
So do you.
Well, I'm not a quitter, Senator.
It's something my father taught me.
When you believe in something, stick with it.
And I believe he's coming back.
All right.
Let's say that he is.
Does that mean that you have to stay here in this house? - Where else would I go? - Come to Washington.
Work on my staff.
I couldn't do that.
You're using your father's disappearance as a retreat from everything.
Are you closing yourself off from everybody? My father's all I have.
You have me.
And Wes.
- He's gone.
- Don't you think he's coming back? I don't know.
Do you know why he left? Did it have anything to do with you? - Ramona, it's important for me to know.
- Why? Wesley and Billy, they're my family.
And right now we're split apart.
If knowing what happened could help bring us back together (sighs) What's Washington like? Uh Full of politicians.
If I did go what would I do with the house? Close it up for a while.
This is the only house I know.
We lived a couple of other places when I was little, but I don't remember any of them.
I used to deliver papers on this block.
Long before you were born.
- It's hard to think of you as - As a kid with a paper round? Sometimes it is for me too.
What? - I'm sorry.
- For what? For everything.
(Rudy) Going stir crazy cooped up in the house all day? Da-da da-da da-da - That bad, huh? - Worse.
(sighs) - Well, it's for - My own good? I know.
But I warn you, I'm not sure how much more "protective custody" I can stand.
If Falconetti doesn't get me - providing he gives two hoots - Beat the Clock will.
(laughs) All right, now it's your turn.
What was your day like? - Um Mostly frustrating.
- Then I don't wanna hear it.
- You were part of it, in a weird way.
- Oh? Well, not so much weird as - Um Strange? - Silly.
- The lady you met the other night.
- Maggie.
My lawyer.
She got it into her head that we were Uh Involved? - That's the word.
- Oh! No! (laughs) - Uh Should I be angry at that reaction? - I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it that way.
You're a very attractive man, and if it were anybody else Refill? You mean Tom.
Yeah.
- That's what I told her.
- And she didn't believe you? She wasrt in the mood to believe anything.
Well, um I can talk to her, if you like.
Let's not protest too much, huh? I'm beginning to think Maggie and I have a lot of things to work out.
Here's to friendship.
And lots of it.
(car approaching) There is only one other resident of this hotel.
And he usually doesn't get out of bed till this hour.
- Rudy! - Hello, Billy.
You haven't met Kate.
Kate Jordache, my stepson, Billy Abbott.
- Nice to meet you.
- Same here.
- How about a drink? - Sounds good.
A little early for you to be home, isn't it? Everything's under control at the shop.
Thought I'd visit the old hacienda.
- See if it had changed any.
- Billy runs a record company.
- That must be exciting.
- Well, it hasn't been dull lately.
Cheers.
Well, I think I'll go upstairs and get ready for dinner.
Maybe watch a little TV.
Uh I think Beat the Clock's on.
What's happening in Washington? - Oh, a few things.
- Like what? - Can't talk about it, not for a while.
- Top-secret, huh? Must be important.
- I hope so.
- Well, don't let 'em get to ya.
- Buy you a round? - No, I'm fine.
What is it, Billy? Your motor's been racing since you walked in here.
What do you do when somebody puts your head in a vice and starts squeezing? - Depends on the leverage you have.
- Not a whole helluva lot.
Well, do whatever you can to relieve the pressure.
- That's kind of how I figured it.
- You in trouble, Billy? Nothing I can't dance my way out of - with a little luck.
Do you need help? - There you go again.
- What? Every time I get in a bind, you're there to bail me out.
If it wasrt for you, I wouldn't even be in the record business.
Who the hell would have ever lent me $50,000? It seems to have paid off.
Yeah.
It isn't easy for me to say this but you've been a better father to me in this short time than my real father ever was.
Thank you.
You're not as many laughs but you're there when you're needed.
I'm beginning to feel like I'm at a testimonial, or a wake.
Just know something, Rudy.
You mean more to me than almost anything in the world.
(inaudible) (knock at door) Come in.
What do you want me to do?