Remington Steele (1982) s01e17 Episode Script

Fashion's a dangerous thing.
You never know when it's gonna run wild.
- [Woman Screaming.]
- Then I guess you better spend the night with me.
- You weren't supposed to find out.
- Obviously not.
- So you know about my - Lover? Yes.
- Lovers.
- Lovers? - [Screams.]
- [Groaning.]
- Give my best to Darlene.
- Laura.
- Love make any sense to you, Steele? - Less and less.
- What would you say to - Are you sure you can handle it? [Laura.]
Try this for a deep, dark secret The great detective Remington Steele? He doesn't exist.
I invented him.
Follow I always loved excitement.
So I studied and apprenticed and put my name on an office.
But absolutely nobody knocked down my door.
A female private investigator seemed so feminine.
So I invented a superior.
A decidedly masculine superior.
Suddenly, there were cases around the block.
It was working like a charm.
Until the day he walked in with his blue eyes and mysterious past.
And before I knew it he assumed Remington Steele's identity.
Now I do the work, and he takes the bows.
It's a dangerous way to live but as long as people buy it I can get thejob done.
We never mix business with pleasure.
Well, almost never.
I don't even know his real name.
[Woman Laughing.]
- ¢Ü¢Û¢Ü¢Û[Soft Rock.]
- [Glass Smashing.]
That's what I do to things that bore me, Teddy.
Now get your devoted wife another drink if you can manage something that complicated.
- You've had enough, Rina.
- Of what? You maybe? Let her go.
The party was getting dull anyway.
Well, how could I? You have been so busy of late.
- I'll get you what you want.
- Uh-uh-uh-uh.
You mean that you are going to give him back? Oh, how generous of you, Marion.
[Chuckles.]
Really, Teddy what can you possibly see in this thing? She can't even paint her own name.
She's got no money.
Aha! The sack! Perhaps that's where her talent lies.
Will you stop at nothing? Marion.
You can't leave now, Teddy.
You haven't freshened my drink! - Rina, right now I could - What? Kiss me? Oh.
In front of all these people? [Cackling.]
[Laughing.]
Who's that? Oh, it's you.
Oh, you really must forgive me for making such a spectacle of us all this afternoon.
I couldn't resist it.
Oh, what a sensation we'll cause.
[Rina Screaming.]
Oh, yes! Yes! Eccentric! A wild animal, snapping and snarling.
Snapping and snarling? It's supposed to be The Lovers.
Oh, but of course The Lovers, snapping and snarling.
Que bella.
! Lovers, huh? Is that the kind of sex life you got? Now, this here this here makes a statement.
[Drill Whirring.]
- Miss Holt? - Yeah? I heard from some of the other students that your work is, uh is [Sobbing.]
Is it really that bad? That's really bad.
It gets worse.
Teddy told the police he was with me that night.
Believe me, Marion.
It's best to tell the truth even if it's embarrassing to admit you spent the night with Rina's husband.
He wasn't with me.
Oh? We lied to the police.
You mean you backed him up? Oh, boy.
But he didn't do it.
He couldn't have.
But you're not sure.
Uh, well once, about a month or so ago we were parking in one of the canyons.
Teddy only had an hour, and then he had to get back to Rina.
He said he wished she were dead.
- And where is he now? - Hiding.
I don't know where.
- All the earmarks of an innocent man.
- He's scared.
You've heard the way the 6:00 news is milking this thing.
"Prominent West Coast artist Rina Casselas, the victim of a brutal slaying.
" And the police still haven't found her body? Look you don't always get to pick who you fall in love with.
But I love Teddy.
And he loves me.
And And I want to marry him.
And I will.
Providing we can prove he didn't kill his wife first.
Can you help me? I don't know.
What do you think, Darryl? I don't think it's right for you, Mr.
Steele.
Yes.
Too cool.
What these offices need is feeling vitality, passion, if you will.
Passion.
- I got it.
- [Phone Ringing.]
Would it be too much to request some assistance from you, Mr.
Steele? What? No, no, no, not at all, not at all.
- Steele here.
- Hello.
Is Laura there? - No, she isn't.
Can I take a message? - This is Giovanni.
- Giovanni? - Last night, I didn't say enough.
She was magnifico.
- Last night? - Yeah, I cannot wait until next week for The Lovers to progress.
The lovers? Then I presume this is a personal call? Tell her she was splendid, inspiring fantastic! Okay, okay, that's it.
I got it.
- Ciao.
- Ciao, indeed.
Mr.
Steele.
How's that for passion? Passion's a dangerous thing, Darryl.
You never know when it's gonna run wild or with whom.
You'll have to forgive our decorating.
But if you can find a place to sit in that office.
Ah, there you are, Miss Holt my most trusted associate.
Marion Travis, Remington Steele.
Mr.
Steele, she's wonderful.
She really is.
Hmm.
So I've been hearing.
Miss Holt, I've just received a phone call that requires an immediate conference between us Whatever it is will have to wait.
- Murphy, you want to come in on this? - Sure.
Mr.
Steele, what about the colors? It's red.
I know Teddy married Rina for her money.
Teddy's beautiful, and guys like that well, they just get used to the easy life.
And Rina Rina likes to own things.
But some relationships don't go the way they're planned.
More often than one can imagine.
[Marion.]
And I know Teddy wanted to leave Rina.
Then why didn't he? - The easy life? - No.
He didn't care about that anymore.
Rina was blackmailing him.
- With what? - He wouldn't tell me.
But she threatened to use it against him if he ever tried to walk out.
So, we're dealing here with a man trapped at the very apex of a lovers' triangle.
On one side, true love.
On the other side, a hollow commitment fueled by little more than cheap, carnal lust.
- Mr.
Steele, I don't think - The question is then, Miss Holt could a man would a man faced with such an excruciating dilemma resort to murder? "The apex of a lovers' triangle"? Don't you think you went a little heavy on the drama? - Thank you, Fred.
- I thought we changed the subject to last night.
- What about last night? - I called you.
You weren't in.
- Well, I was busy with some work.
- Oh.
- Anything interesting? - Just nuts and bolts kind of stuff.
American made or foreign? [Man.]
But why, Nicholas? [Nicholas.]
Because I'm not in the business of selling blank walls or slides.
! - Now, calm down, Nicky.
- Now, when do I get the paintings? Soon.
! That's all I can tell you.
I don't like this, Noah, none of it.
If I had known what was involved when you approached me about Rina's work You would have tried to double your commission.
- Excuse me.
Mr.
Spriggs? - Yes? I was wondering if you could help me.
I'm sure Anita can answer any questions you might have if I can tear her away from the soap operas.
- Anita! - Actually, it's you we wanted to speak with.
- Was there something particular in which you were interested? - Information.
"Remington Steele, Investigations.
" You attended a party at Rina Casselas's the night she disappeared.
Is that correct? Well, yes, but I was only there for a very short while.
- I left a long time before she - I was also there.
- Noah Devereaux.
- The art critic.
Ordinarily, I'd be flattered by the recognition.
Unfortunately, both Nicholas and I were very close to Rina and her murder has left our nerves a little raw, I'm afraid.
- How can we help you? - Teddy Bennett, Rina's husband.
Ah, yes.
A walking poster, with about as much depth.
I suppose Rina was attracted to the animal in him.
I often warned her that exotic pets like that could be dangerous, but she never listened.
Then you think he killed her? That's a decision for the police to make.
According to this mailer, you were planning a showing of Rina's latest works? Yes.
Well, that opening will have to be delayed now.
Nicholas thought at first it would be a fitting memorial.
But I've convinced him that a presentation so soon might appear to be in bad taste.
You there! What are you doing? Leave that alone.
Just a moment.
- It's the beer cans.
- The beer cans? - Stop him.
- Stop him.
- [Groans.]
- Consider him stopped.
Leo Blitzman? Yeah.
Watch the rough stuff, pretty boy.
- You're dealing with an eye.
- An eye? - Cannon, Mannix, Rockford.
- He appears to be speaking in some sort of code.
He's trying to tell us he's a private eye.
- Him? - You better believe it, sweets.
I handled dozens of cases last year.
My middle name is "Divorce.
" All right, Mr.
Blitzman, then what are you doing lurking around us? I don't have to answer nothing.
- I'm like a priest with my clients.
- Wait a minute.
Blitzman.
Weren't you in charge of security at Ranaldi's when the designs for their spring line were stolen? I don't care what you heard.
It didn't happen like that.
And I'm suing.
My lawyers are handling it right now.
And then there was the garden party for the county museum.
You let the raffle tickets blow all over the lawn.
What am I, God? I can control the weather? When you got back from collecting them, somebody had stolen the Paul Revere tankards.
I'm a persecuted man.
And if I hear you repeating this, too I'm going after you in court.
All right, Mr.
Blitzman, I want to know who you're working for.
Mr.
Steele, if I could have a word with you.
- Steele? Remington Steele? - That's right.
And you stand right there.
Otherwise, Mr.
Steele will be forced to shoot you.
I got roots growing out of my toes.
[Scoffs.]
You're not gonna like this, but we have to let him go.
What? Shouldn't we at least wrench some information out of him? Leo, you gonna tell us anything? I'm like a priest, remember? [Groans.]
I merely said he wouldn't tell us anything, not that he wouldn't prove useful.
All right, putting Blitzman aside for the moment Laura, I feel we need to talk about what's been happening between us about truth and deception, honesty and falsehood.
Then you've been getting the same feelings I've had? From the sound of it, hardly.
I thought Devereaux was lying, too, and Spriggs for that matter.
Why would they plan a showing of Rina's works and then cancel it? - Laura, I don't think you quite have the picture.
- You're right.
You must be.
They don't have the pictures.
When I looked in, all Spriggs had were the slides and he was complaining about having to wait.
But if Rina's dead, then where are they? You know, it's almost as if they were expecting her to die.
Oh, he's made us.
What's this? You're following me? In that ocean liner? Don't be absurd.
Our paths merely coincided for a stretch.
- I love it! They're trying to follow me.
- [Horn Honking.]
Hey, I got two ex-wives trying to hunt me down and they're yet to sprinkle salt on this rooster's tail.
So take a gander at this car 'cause all you're gonna see of it is the dust! - No matter what, Fred, don't lose him until I tell you.
- Yes, sir! There's only so much insult a man can have added to his injury.
[Laughing.]
No salt on this rooster's tail.
[Horn Honking.]
- Very impressive, Mr.
Steele.
- [Whistles.]
- One learns these little tricks when one is constantly - On the run? Are you the $50 tip dispatch was yelling about? That fellow just gone round the corner has it, providing you don't lose him.
- Follow the smoke.
- I'm with you, sugar.
[Knocking.]
- Were you followed? - Are you kidding? Follow a rooster like Leo Blitzman? That's like trying to shake hands with your own shadow.
[Knocking.]
[Steele.]
So you hired Leo to prove that Marion didn't kill Rina.
I was on her tail like that.
Even brought my own beer cans to class as a cover.
- Beer cans? - It's not important.
Teddy, why did you suspect Marion? I was afraid she couldn't stand to watch the way that Rina treated me anymore.
She loved me that much.
That's why I told the police that we were together that night after the party.
It doesn't work badly as an alibi for you either.
All right, I found Rina for her money and nine out of 10 people will say I killed her for the same reason.
But do you want to know what the truth is? Rina was completely tapped out.
The demand for her paintings had been slipping off the last couple of years.
But she kept on spending like the party was never gonna end.
Would anyone else have a reason to kill Rina? Well, I don't know.
You see, I kind of lost track of what was happening in Rina's life.
I mean, she's off painting someplace I don't know where.
It's very mysterious.
- Then you didn't see her most recent set of canvases? - No.
You know, Marion got me into therapy.
Primal scream.
A terrific guy in Beverly Hills.
You know, I never knew how much I hated my father.
I mean, like really hated him.
But you know what? I love him.
He's a terrific guy, my dad.
I can now relate to myself in a positive way.
But you'd still stand to inherit the paintings.
And with Rina dead, they'd be worth a lot more than they were a week ago.
I know.
I even smell guilty.
See, that's why I'm holed up here.
I was hoping in clearing Marion, well, Leo, he'd come up with a lead maybe, huh? Any day now, Teddy.
Any day.
What is this? Oh, well, Marion rented it about six months ago to store all this junk art she's selling.
We had plans to convert it into our own space someday.
It's funny.
All my life, I'm not even worth the clothes I hustle to put on my back.
Then I finally meet somebody that really matters to me, and this happens.
Love make any sense to you, Steele? Less and less all the time.
- Thanks, Murph.
- You say the police have been through here? Cleanup isn't their strong suit.
It's no wonder Rina had so many pairs of glasses.
She was going blind.
- Going blind? - Murphy checked with her ophthalmologist.
She had a degenerative eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa.
- But it's odd.
- For a painter, more like tragic.
No, no, I mean, this studio.
Rina must have been standing here because there's such a large stain.
But there's not a drop on this painting.
- Laura.
- Yes? - Laura.
- What? Laura.
Dana Andrews.
Gene Tierney.
Twentieth Century Fox.
1944.
Detective falls in love with a murdered woman whom he knows only through her portrait then discovers that she's not really dead.
Not really dead? Try this.
A successful but waning artist is broke.
Her only source of income is her painting, but she realizes she'll soon be blind.
- She dies in a sensational murder.
- Plenty of delicious scandal.
- Which shoots up the value of her paintings.
- Additional data? No body.
Erratic, illogical evidence at the scene of the crime.
So Rina staged her murder to cash in on her talents while she still could.
And left Teddy to take the rap for it.
- Cold-blooded scheme.
- Cunning woman.
[Steele.]
And not nearly as appealing as Gene Tierney.
Marion's going to meet us at the loft.
She can't wait to see Teddy again.
- The lovers reunited.
- Indeed.
Laura, there's no point in putting this off any longer.
I took a phone call for you this morning from Giovanni.
Giovanni? Oh, dear.
You weren't supposed to find out.
- Obviously not.
- So you know about my - Lover? Yes.
- Lovers.
Lovers? You mean there's more than one? Well, I knew it was going to be more work but I couldn't see doing it any other way.
But But it's not possible.
Well, keeping them both balanced is tricky but when you're holding a torch like that Torch? Sounds more like a forest fire raging out of control.
I would like to consider myself a sophisticated man and I would never presume to have a monopoly on your affections.
But if you must dally, couldn't you confine it to one tryst at a time? Wait a minute, wait a minute.
You took a message for me and deduced from that that I was having a smarmy affair with Giovanni? - He was none too discreet about it either.
- Very clever deduction.
You've taught me too well, I'm afraid.
Why don't you come with me next Tuesday? The more the merrier.
I don't think humor is the way to deal with this.
- But if you really feel - Shh.
[Loud Whistling.]
Teddy? Teddy, it's me, Marion.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Mr.
Steele says Rina isn't really dead.
We merely begin with all the known facts, Miss Travis.
And from those, try to make the creative leap to a working hypothesis or theory if you will.
- Teddy? - It's all right, Teddy, really.
From there we seek out corroborating evidence to buttress our theory until we feel confident in saying, with a high degree of certainty that Rina is most probably [Screams.]
Dead.
Well, it was only a theory.
But you said Rina faked her own murder.
In her studio, she had.
Obviously, someone else knew it was staged an accomplice perhaps and decided to make it a reality.
Probably to keep all the paintings for himself.
Himself? You're not thinking it was Teddy? No.
No.
But we did leave him there this afternoon.
And, uh, he wasn't there when we discovered Rina.
Then you are saying it was Teddy, aren't you? We're merely saying that in light of the facts - it might be wise to prepare yourself for the worst.
- Laura.
Excuse me.
Can I see you for a second? It's important.
[Clears Throat.]
You see, Marion there are unfortunate surprises even in the most trusting of relationships.
Mr.
Steele, Darryl said to tell you to take all the time you want on the color.
- He gets paid by the hour.
- Thank you.
And, Miss Travis, someone named Giovanni called.
He said he'd like to arrange private sessions for you and Laura together.
- He feels you're both that good.
- [Steele.]
Good God in heaven.
You know him too? The man's an insatiable animal.
Giovanni? An animal? Believe me, compared to some of the sculpture instructors I've had, he's a pussycat.
Sculpture instructor? Yes, on Tuesday nights.
That's how I met Laura.
He's very encouraging, and Laura has a natural talent.
You should see her piece, The Lovers.
- For rusty carburetors and brake drums, it's terribly romantic.
- Mm-hmm.
Seems Teddy had some gambling debts before the marriage.
He embezzled money from Rina to pay them off.
She found out about it, collected enough evidence to have him convicted and kept him on a short string ever since.
No wonder he couldn't leave her for Marion.
With Rina out of the picture, he's out from under a tight rap worth a small fortune in artwork and free to do as he pleases.
You want my vote? I'm afraid to start counting them.
Oh, not to worry, Marion.
Even the best of detectives can be occasionally misled by the facts particularly when they're not fully explained.
And I can identify with Teddy's predicament.
Now, trust me.
We'll find Teddy's innocent, no matter how remote it may seem.
- Oh.
- Oh, there, there, now.
[Soft Chuckle.]
[Clears Throat.]
Laura, I owe you an apology.
You do.
Jealousy is a petty, childish emotion.
What you do with Giovanni, et al.
, on Tuesday nights is your own affair, so to speak.
Thank you.
My hopes for a fuller relationship between us were possessive and unrealistic.
I can see that now.
I appreciate the way you helped me through a difficult adjustment.
It won't happen again.
Well, you know, I don't think we need write anything in stone - [Phone Buzzing.]
- Excuse me, please.
Sorry.
Steele here.
All right, it's 11:30.
I waited and I called.
Now what do you want? Ah, Darlene.
What do you mean, Darlene? Yes, tonight.
Of course I remember.
- You're pulling something, aren't you? - You have a key, don't you? All right, tell me what you're doing, or I'm gonna hang up right now.
Just let yourself in.
I'll be by shortly.
Silk? Always love the feel of silk.
Very well.
Very well.
Okay.
Until then.
Mm-hmm.
Bye-bye.
- Sorry, Laura.
What were you saying about stone? - Look.
I may not have been complete That is, if you really thought that l Oh, hell! Give my best to Darlene.
Laura.
Laura, wait, wait, wait! Darlene is [Sighs.]
Love must truly be an enigma, Fred.
How's that, sir? Because I can't tell if I'm winning or losing.
- [Gasps.]
- You scream and it's all over.
Don't shoot, Leo.
It's me.
Steele.
You know, this is some shed you got here.
You want some? I'm sorry I scared you, Miss Holt, but I'm kind of a wreck myself.
You know, getting set up once is bad enough, but twice? So you left the loft to look for this? Well, see, I couldn't believe that Rina would really leave me anything.
I mean, especially her paintings.
Then I remembered she kept all her legal papers in a safe in the floor in the bedroom.
So I went to check.
Then when I got back to the loft, there's Rina, dead again.
So I ran.
Someone's trying to bury me, Miss Holt, as fast as they can.
Now I'm no Einstein, but that piece of paper there I think that sticks the blame on someone else for a change.
Well, according to this, Rina sold all her paintings including the ones nobody's seen yet, to a consortium.
That's good for me, right? Well, it hardly clears you especially since you didn't even know about it.
But it does point elsewhere, maybe to Devereaux or Spriggs.
Either one's okay with me.
As long as we do it right away.
I don't want to be a notch on some cop's.
38.
In that case, you shouldn't go back to the loft.
Are you kidding? I'm never going back there.
You take the key.
I don't want them to find it on me.
Then I guess you'd better spend the night with me.
Hey, thanks for the offer, Miss Holt.
But, well, you see, since Marion I've kind of sworn off fooling around, you know what I mean? I meant on the couch.
Oh.
Look, the Casselas dame is dead for good.
But somebody snatched the paintings.
We find the paintings, we got the killer, capiche? An eminently sound deduction, Leo.
So I figure, we're both pros, why butt heads over this, huh? We go arm in arm, we find the oilskins together split the recovery fee, become partners.
Partners? - Only thing is you gotta dump baby doll.
- Miss Holt? She's no good for you, Steele.
I'm talking albatross here.
Secretary one week, detective the next.
I mean, you and I know being a real detective takes a certain Je ne sais quoi.
Yeah, yeah, that too.
But mostly it takes moxie.
I got moxie.
You got moxie Together we got moxie up the kazoo.
What do ya say? Partners? I don't know, Leo.
You strike me more as a lone wolf.
The lone wolf.
That's great.
The lone wolf.
Why don't we see our way through this case and reconsider our options then? Make a great business card.
Gilt-edged.
- Blitzman and Steele.
Or Steele and Blitzman.
- [Chuckles.]
Hey, I eat a guy's liverwurst, I'm gonna get fussy about billing? - Actually, it's pate, but never mind.
- Okay, okay.
I see you want to put us on a little shakedown cruise, right? I'm game.
First thing in the morning You're gonna see to it that my lock is repaired.
- Taiwan.
- Hmm, sure.
- And they're ruining the detective business.
- Yeah.
Good night.
Audacity, Laura.
It makes kings of commoners.
You'll never believe the proposition I had last night.
I doubt that I care to hear about it.
- But when I got home, I discovered - Don't.
I thought about what you said last night, and you were right.
Maybe we should keep our private lives private.
Each to his own, no questions asked.
Besides, we have a case to solve, and it isn't getting any simpler.
- Wait here.
- But But I'm talking about the case! [Shower Running.]
[Phone Ringing.]
- Steele here.
- You? What are you doing there? Why? Who were you expecting, Miss Wolfe? Hey, if you set me up last night to take advantage of Laura I can assure you.
Any advantages taken weren't mine.
Now, to the purpose of your call.
The gallery owner, Spriggs, just called.
He said he had to see you right away.
It was urgent - but wouldn't give me any details over the phone.
- Message received.
Thank you.
[Both.]
We need to see Spriggs.
- He called? - Apparently.
But, Laura, listen to me.
If because of Darlene you thought - No.
- That is, if it caused you to rebound into No questions, remember? Just the case.
Spriggs.
Right.
Spriggs.
- Spriggs Gallery.
You got that, Leo? - [Horn Honks.]
- Partners? - Well He actually suggested we all become partners? Well, not all of us.
Um Leo feels that the agency might be overstaffed.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
- Whom does he think we should cut? - [Door Slams.]
Mr.
Steele.
Anita still glued to the damn soap [Groans.]
- Ah, damn! It's blocked.
Let's go around the back.
- Right.
Hey, Holt, where's Steele? Hi, Steele.
Where's Spriggs? Hey, somebody just killed Spriggs! - Did you make the car, the plate, a face? - Nothing.
Well, the worms will be singing tonight.
An appalling metaphor, Leo, but accurate.
Best call the police, I suppose.
If only we knew what he was trying to tell us.
- Laura? - There ain't no telephone to the grave, Steele.
- Laura? - We're on our own.
Blitzman and Steele.
Okay.
Steele and Blitzman.
Steele? Steele? Unless I'm mistaken, these are the slides of the missing Rina Casselas paintings.
A logical deduction, Laura.
But what about Spriggs's assailant? I hate to say it, but I think Teddy's back in the fire.
Teddy didn't kill Spriggs.
But if we can find the paintings, then we'll also find the killer.
Devereaux, perhaps.
You hit the kitten on the head, baby doll.
So, how do we find the paintings, coach? How do we find the paintings? A simple enough procedure for seasoned professionals, Leo.
Teddy said Rina painted these pictures in a secret hiding place known only to herself and her accomplice.
With Rina dead, where better to continue hiding the paintings but that same secret hiding place? Those palm trees.
They're in at least half of these pictures.
- So what? - I've seen those palm trees before.
Of course you have.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
United Artists.
1963.
Spencer Tracy and a carload of comics.
The money was hidden underneath the crossed palms.
- I think they could be.
- [Steele.]
There they are.
! Rina must have painted those pictures somewhere around here.
Laura, how can you be so sure that Teddy didn't kill Spriggs? - Because he spent the night with me.
- Teddy? You mean this morning in the shower? - He didn't know where else to turn.
- I know the feeling.
Hey, Steele.
This is Heart Attack Hill.
Couldn't you find another way to get up here? As usual, Leo, your sense of timing is impeccable.
- Well, I knew you'd find it.
- You did? - I'll bust it down.
- I don't think that would be wise, Leo.
Cover your eyes.
Splinters are dangerous.
[Groans.]
Holy Mother of Pearl.
A trick door.
Who could tell? Uh-uh.
Perhaps there's an easier route.
I can do it.
I can do it.
[Grunts Loudly.]
[Door Closes.]
You better stay here, baby doll.
Things might get rough.
[Groans.]
Nice work, Steele.
Let me mark him, Steele.
Just the tip of his nose.
Would you tell this animal to leave me alone? You were Rina's accomplice in the staging of her murder.
I wanna talk to my lawyer.
Then you murdered Rina, since she was legally dead already.
But Spriggs wasn't prepared for that and panicked.
That's why he called us.
Unfortunately, you got to him before we did.
I could dislocate a joint.
The contract between Rina and the consortium you formed should provide enough of a motive.
And the fingerprints on the sculpture in Spriggs will no doubt prove equally revealing.
- Let me loosen a tooth or two.
- All right! Spriggs did panic when he found out why I brought him into the consortium.
He He accused me of killing Rina.
He threatened to go to the police.
I couldn't persuade him otherwise.
But I did not kill Rina! Chinese water torture.
No, I swear.
Why would I kill her? She'd hidden the paintings someplace.
She was going to get them when she was killed.
Until I had those paintings, Rina was more valuable to me alive than dead, right? That does seem to follow a certain sordid logic.
- Where are the paintings? - I don't know.
I thought they'd be here.
But I've taken the place apart, and they're not.
You're onto something.
I can tell by that delicious gleam in your eye.
- I think we've been missing something rather obvious.
- Well, I'm still missing it.
- What are you talking about? - She was going to get the paintings.
- Of course.
- Of course what? My God, get this maniac away from me.
Leo, please.
! He's already confessed.
Please.
You really think the paintings could be here, Steele? Rina knew about Teddy and Marion.
It's possible she knew about this too.
[Laura.]
It's the last place anyone would suspect her to use.
Devereaux said she was going to get them just before she was killed.
It's nice stuff, all right, but I don't see what we're looking for.
If you were going to hide a set of paintings I'd put them right in front of your nose where you'd never see 'em.
[Leo.]
Pay dirt.
! Listen, Steele, why don't we forget the recovery fee and dance these beauties into the black market? I got a friend that knows a lot of high rollers in Houston.
And they eat this kind of stuff for breakfast.
- We haven't found Rina's killer, Leo.
- Devereaux, right? No.
Not until he knew where the paintings were.
Then Spriggs.
It's always those little guys.
No.
Spriggs didn't even know about the scam.
He thought Rina really was murdered in her studio.
Well, then, if it wasn't Marion, and it wasn't Teddy What difference does it make? We got the brass ring.
I could go out and rent us a truck and have these in Houston before the sun hit the horizon.
What do you say, Steele? - Leo, how did you get us in herejust now? - What? - With a key.
Why? - Whose key? - Uh, Teddy's key.
Teddy gave it to me when we were here.
- No, no, no, no.
I have Teddy's key.
And Marion had hers the night we found Rina.
What is this, Steele? You're letting baby doll run the show? Where'd you get the key, Leo? Rina must have had one made up so she could get to the paintings.
But the police didn't find one on the body.
Did you come looking for Teddy and walk in on Rina instead? - I warned you about her, Steele.
- Oh, no, Leo.
Rina laughed at me.
I made her an offer.
An even split on the paintings, and I would've kept her secret.
Twenty years in this business carrying a license and this is the sweetest thing I ever stepped into.
Crazy dame.
She ran for it.
I went after her and got a piece of her coat by the elevator.
Next thing you know, I'm looking down the shaft at a stiff.
I didn't mean for it to go sour like that.
Just my luck, huh? The goose dies, and I don't even know where the golden eggs are.
So you hitched yourself onto me and hoped it would pay off.
Leo, you're a detective.
Doesn't that mean anything to you? Yeah.
It means teaching frightened old ladies how to use Mace three times a week just to keep my car running.
You pegged me, Steele.
The lone wolf.
What have I got that's so great, huh? Nothing.
And when I take the big sleep in some charity ward on skid row, who's gonna care? Nobody, that's who.
Once, just once, I want to score it big.
You're going to have to kill us to do it, Leo.
That's right.
Don't come any closer, Steele.
I'll shoot.
I don't think so, Leo.
- I always wanted to send somebody up the river.
- Hmm.
I never figured on it being me.
The same color? After all we went through? A man needs a little consistency in his life, Darryl.
Something reassuring and familiar.
Something to inspire trust.
What's this about trust? He wants me to paint the walls trustworthy gray.
- I approve the choice.
It was worth waiting for.
- [Door Opens.]
Laura, where would you like this? Uh, right through there.
- What is that you're taking into my office, Teddy? - A hernia.
- Before we leave, we'd like to tell you the good news.
- Mm-hmm.
- Teddy and I are getting married.
- Hey! - That's wonderful.
- I've turned over a new leaf.
No more living off other people.
My irresponsible days are over.
I found a new profession.
It's respectable, secure and dependable.
- And what's that, Teddy? - I've taken up painting.
- I'm so excited, I could almost - Oh, don't, princess.
We've got a plane to catch.
We're off to Arkansas to see dear old Dad.
- [Sighs.]
- Well, Steele, muchas gracias.
Don't mention it.
Princess, come on.
[Chuckling.]
Laura, I realize we agreed to no personal questions but in the interest of our mutual sanity what would you say to 60 seconds of total honesty? A full minute? Are you sure you can handle it? I'm desperate enough to suggest it.
All right.
- I'm not having an affair with Giovanni.
- There is no Darlene.
- Teddy spent the night on the couch.
- I spent the night with Leo.
- The Lovers is a sculpture I've been working on.
- Oh.
- Do you like it? - Um, inspired.
- Honestly? - That is what we're doing, isn't it? In that case, I have one more question.
Fire away.
What's your real name? My real name? Ah, time's up.
[Mews.]